Ok, I know most people out in the blogosphere don’t know me. I don’t even think many people read my blog. Helloooo? Is anyone out there??? So for the accidental or intentional visitor, here’s a little bit more info about me.

I was born and raised in San Francisco’s Mission District. I am now 31 years old, I am married to Mr. Bubba, and we have two children – Mr. Skinny and Mr. Snugglebunny. Mr. Skinny just turned 13 and will start 8th grade this fall. Mr. Snugglebunny is 5 and will start Kindergarten this fall at the same school Mr. Skinny attends.

Mr. Bubba and I have been together for a long time, since we were teenagers. We have been married for almost 8 years. Yes, we had a child before we were married. Mr. Bubba is a teacher, at a Catholic high school. He’s always wanted to be a teacher and not just because he’s my husband but he’s good at it.

Mr. Skinny attends a Catholic primary school. He started there in 3rd grade, we transferred him there due to the decline of the public school system. He was also diagnosed with ADD in 2nd grade. His teacher forced us into an IEP process, when all their tests came back showing he was at or above grade level she said he was having problems because I was pregnant. She’s lucky my hormonal pregnant self kept it together, I didn’t even dignify her comment with a response. Mr. Skinny is a wonderful kid, he’s loving, giving, funny, smart, handsome, a typical boy who still thinks passing gas is funny AND he is now an adolescent. So we’re also getting the “Oh my God”s, eye rolls, deep sighs and reminders of how awful we are as parents.

Mr. Snugglebunny is 5. He wants to be a paleontologist. He even knows what that word means – “a scientist that discovers dinosaur bones” – Duh! A friend of ours says he’s going to be a rocket scientist and that he’s never met a 5 year old as articulate as ours. What can I say? My kids are smart. They must get it from their parents!

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Not related fields, at all. But I know I am a Renaissance Soul… a person who thrives on a variety of interests and who redefines the accepted meaning of success. I am also a DONA International trained Birth and Postpartum Doula. Next month I will sit for my certification exam to officially be a Clinical Hypnotherapist. I know, what a combination of interests. I also like knitting, beading, reading. I like to be involved at my kids’ schools. I will be one of the Kindergarten room moms.

I also have to manage chronic medical conditions. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in mid-2004, by the fall of 2004 I was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia. So, how do I do all that I do? Very stubbornly. I have been quite stubborn the past 4 years and got to the point this year of quitting my job because my body didn’t want to let me continue with a 40 hour+ a week job working in a residential facility with adolescent boys who all had mental health issues and problems with the legal system. I have not worked outside my home for nearly 3 months. I decided that enough was enough and I had to listen to my body.

I definitely work at home. I am the CEO, CFO, CAO, COO and whatever other executive title I could possibly have of my family. Basically, I am the mom.

I read a lot of blogs. I read Mom blogs, decluttering/organizing blogs, financial blogs, craft blogs, all around type of blogs. I think what I want to focus on is how to deal with the challenges of chronic illness while continuing to live life to the fullest. We’ll see what materializes.

In about 15 hours, 30 minutes or so, we will officially be parents of a teenager. Yes, my son turns 13 at 4:10 am. This is scary! He is definitely in the throws of adolescence. With the attitude, the defiance, the eye rolling, the changing voice. Yet, there’s still the little kid in him that wants to play at the playground, not necessarily with his little brother, but still, he wants to play at the playground. There’s still a part of him that doesn’t hate to get in bed with us and snuggle. We’re not completely shut out of his life, I won’t let that happen. But there’s definitely his claims for independence.

How do we support his growing up and wanting to individuate while balancing our grief of losing our little boy? I want him to individuate… I also want my little boy. Simply by letting him grow by beginning to let go and holding on to the memories and embracing the new ones we are creating. We begun by gifting him a cell phone at his birthday party. We’ll see what adventures we’ll get from this new addition.

He has been my best teacher. He has taught me to be the best mom that I could possibly be. He has challenged us in unbelievable ways, he has challenged us to open up our minds, to struggle with our expectations, to adapt, to grow as human beings and to embrace our struggles. Now we are beginning a new lesson. A lesson in parenting an adolescent. Hopefully we’ll pass with flying colors.

Happy Birthday Mr. Skinny! We love you – Mami, Papi and Mr. Snugglebunny

Ok, now that I’m 25 again, LOL. Not really, now I’m 31, I need to get back on track with my eating and fitness. So I’ve joined the Summer of Me! weightloss challenge over at Baby Tea Leaves’ blog. The invitation post is here.

Hopefully this will help me stay on track. I have a goal to lose 10 pounds during the 4 1/2 week challenge. There are weekly weigh-ins, prizes, and loads of cool stuff over there at Baby Tea Leaves blog.

Wish me luck! And remind me to eat well, move myself, and to think healthy.

Ok, so my birthday is in 2 days… if you know me at all you already know that I yearly get the “birthday blahs”. I don’t usually do anything special for my birthday. I don’t like to go out to dinner, I don’t like to get sung to, I don’t like a big deal made out of it at all. I will gladly celebrate everyone else’s birthday, make a big deal about it, get them a card and a gift, go out to eat and have the employees sing some badly timed off-key rendition of Happy Birthday.

I guess it’s how I look at the whole birthday situation. I’ve always looked at my birthday as a marker, a marker of another year passed, a year that passed and I didn’t ‘fill in the blank’. Well, I don’t know that I necessarily have that exact attitude about my birthday this year but I wouldn’t say that this year I’m looking forward to my birthday either.

I have devised a new way of calculating my age, every year on my birthday I will turn 25, then on New Year’s Day I will turn 24 so that on my birthday I can turn 25! It works for me, I don’t want to admit that this is the 6th year that I will turn 25. Last year I actually turned 30. And I actually had a party… that was more a celebration of getting my Master’s Degree but since it happened around the same time I said it was also a celebration of my birthday, especially because it was a decade birthday. It was nice to have people come and celebrate me, and it was definitely nice to get birthday gifts. I’m not happy about being in my early 30s in a couple of days… I’ll be a thirty-something, no longer a 30 year old, or a twenty something.

I’m not resistant to getting older, I’m really not. I have a great respect for elders and their wisdom. I just don’t feel like I can join their ranks very soon. I guess I won’t be able to keep turning 25 every year much longer, my son turns 13 next Monday, for people who actually do the math, they’re going to start having very perturbing thoughts about how old I was when he was born.

I guess it’s just a process, and I hate that time seems to be slipping away… slowly the time slips through my fingers… and as the first post ever on my blog says… The Clock Keeps Ticking!

Oh well, according to the countdown widget on the Dashbord of my MacBook, there is One day, 3 hours, 3 minutes and about 30 seconds left to the exact time of my birthday. The clock will just keep ticking… and I’ll just keep adjusting my frame of mind to birthdays. Maybe it’s not that bad…. it’s just not great either. At least for now!