Third Time Covid

Life hands me lemons and sometimes I pout about it. 

My son came home from school with an upset tummy. He felt warm. It was only the second day of school. After he got home, he spiked a high fever which I didn't measure because he fell asleep on me while we were sitting on the couch. He woke up 2-3 hours later and I gave him chewable Tylenol because he was willing to eat graham crackers. He went straight to bed and slept the whole night through. The next morning, Wednesday, I brought him with me to a workout but he stayed in the wagon in the shade. Thursday, my husband and I felt a sore throat. It got worse quickly. My husband got a fever and came home halfway through the day. His fever spiked up to 104.5. My fever reached 101. We both tested positive for COVID-19 that afternoon but my "T" line was very faint while my husband's was super dark.

Unfortunately that meant my son stayed home Wed, Thu and Fri. His school policy was that the child had to be symptom free and have two negative COVID tests in a row separated by 24h, or else he would have to wear a mask for 10 days. The policy at CSUN is the same. My husband would have had to wear a mask until Aug 25th when he started to show symptoms on the 15th. So we took basically two weeks to quarantine. Thankfully, I had just done a big Costco run and our fridge was fully stocked. And I did send my son back to school for his second week of classes (Aug 19-23), since he did test negative on Saturday and Sunday.

And further, I was so put out. I had been telling myself all summer that things would be okay. I would send Albert to school on Monday, August 12th and I would have two weeks: M-F Aug 12-16 AND M-F Aug 19-23 to prep my classes in a quiet peaceful house. But no, instead I was taking care of two sick people and I didn't get any quiet alone time. Now the semester has started, it's the end of week 2, and I'm still scrambling to get organized and finding my way back to the preparation that I wished I had been able to do. I feel terrible about being disorganized. I'm terrified of losing some important piece of paper.

I guess it's a blessing in disguise because now I don't need to be immunized by a COVID-19 booster shot. Also, it was easy to recognize the virus by my symptoms since I had it twice before. And based on the recommendation from another mama, we used our telemedicine benefits and got a prescription for Paxlovid. We took it very strictly at 7pm and 7am for 5 days starting on Thursday night. It tasted terrible! Supposedly, it shortens your symptoms because it blocks replication of the virus. I'm not sure if it actually helped but at least it gave us the feeling that we were doing something proactive.

2.88	R 8/15
no miles	F 8/16
1.16	Sat 8/17
4.56	Sun 8/18
2	M 8/19
4	T 8/20
3	W 8/21
4.8	R 8/22
2	F 8/23
4.78	Sat 8/24
no miles	Sun 8/25

I guess we were feeling well enough to get a long walk in on Sunday 8/18. I was well enough Thursday morning 8/15 to do my "two mile Tuesday" run. The week of 8/19-8/23 we got at least 2 miles each day because it's 1 mile to my son's school from our house. The other days that we got more miles is because I went to my department meeting on Wednesday. And the other days Tues and Thurs, I wanted to do a longer loop and time it to see how long it took to go from Albert's school to my office, which is something I have to do every day now.

But I was definitely upset about losing that time. I also had to cancel an appointment with my chiropractor who was doing some important adjustments to my neck, which still need to happen sometime. It sucked having to push that off to another week. And then, to really suck more free time, there was the Labor Day long weekend. LAUSD has Friday 8/30 off and also Monday 9/2 so I didn't get my Monday work day at my desk here. I was home with my family, which was great. I'm not complaning about getting to spend time with my loved ones. BUT there were things that needed to get done that didn't and still haven't gotten done. 

I know, I'm sitting here writing this even though I could be working. But I wanted to capture these feelings and experiences before I forget.

2022 COVID 1st time https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2022/08/july-2022-thoughts.html

2023 COVID 2nd time https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2023/09/covid-blues.html

summer to fall transition

I'm full of emotions right now. So full that I wish I could go out into the woods like a mama bear and let out a primal scream. I am not too sure it's a good idea to do it in the middle of the city because people might think there's an emergency. Or worse, nobody will say or do anything, nobody will notice, and then I'll be terrified that in case of a real emergency nobody would come to see if I needed help.

My baby has made the transition from preschool to public school. He's in a play-based transitional kindergarten, which is a way to provide free child care. It's a new thing. So new that LAist did a series of stories about it. among the parents with kids enrolled in CSUN's Children's Center, where Albert went last year, there was a huge amount of confusion. Nobody knew if it would be best for their child to stay at CSUN or to migrate to TK. The kindergarten program is not a full day, so there are various options for after-school care. It was the main topic of conversation at every child's spring semester birthday party. Parents were frantically swapping names, dates, locations, details, phone numbers, and websites and planning to piece together a full workday of childcare for as little money as possible or at the highest quality possible, according to the family's priorities.

For us, it was a pretty easy decision. We were having to take a half-day every week to drive across town for Albert's speech therapy. At the public school, he can get his therapy on-site, and during the school day, so we don't have to leave work to take him to an appointment. And he won't have to sit in the car and have all the hassle of knowing another school's layout (including the location of restrooms).

Schedule (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)

• 6am wake up time
• 7am get ready to leave (use the restroom before going to school)
• 7:45am gates open
• 8am school starts
• Breakfast in the classroom, Morning business (attendance, lunch orders), Calendar
• 8:30am Language arts & independent work time
• 9:45am Clean up time
• 9:50am Snack time
• 10am Recess
• 10:20am Quiet / story time
• 10:35am Math
• 11:05am Center time
• 11:40am Lunch time
• 12:30am Quiet / story time
• 12:45am English language
• 1:15am Exploration, Science, Social Studies, Art, Health
• 1:45am Outdoor exploration & Social emotional learning
• 2:20pm Clean up / Pack up / Dismissal
• 2:30-2:40pm Check-in
• 2:40-3:15pm Snack
• 3:15-4:00pm Homework Time
• 4:00-4:30pm Arts & Crafts (Indoor Activity)
• 4:30-5:15pm Outdoor Play (if weather permits < 90 deg F)
• 5:15-6:30 Centers?

I'm writing this for myself, so I can imagine where he is at any given moment and think about all the great things he is learning. Tuesdays will be adjusted slightly due to early dismissal at 1:25pm. Sometimes the outdoor time and the language arts will be switched, such as at the start of the year, due to hot temps. Then they have some random days that are "minimum days" where they get out at 12:40am. I don't think this will effect us because we have an afterschool program already in place. It's half the cost of the daycare we had before. So not free. But less expensive than what we were paying.

I have a feeling I'm going to love my new schedule. The department sent me over a contract and I signed it. So I feel comfortable adding stuff to the course Canvas shells. Hopefully, there won't be any more shuffling of classes at this point.

I'm beyond excited for run club to start up again. I'm going to try not to get carried away in the excitement and stay focused on grading stuff for CSUN. We'll see where the holidays in the semester impact the lab schedules. I'm hoping there will be some "easy" weeks where I can get caught up. I assume there will be lots of "hard" weeks where I will be struggling to keep up. I have three races this semeseter:

• Week 1 = Aug 26-30 followed by Labor Day Weekend
• Week 2 = Sep 2-6 where Monday is Labor Day & Santa Monica Classic is on Sunday 9/8
• Week 3 = Sep 9-13
• Week 4 = Sep 16-20
• Week 5 = Sep 23-27
• Week 6 = Sep 30 - Oct 4 where Thurs Oct 3 is an Unassigned Day (NO LAUSD SCHOOL)
• Week 7 = Oct 7-11
• Week 8 = Oct 14-18 and the Mission Inn Run is on Sunday 10/20
• Week 9 = Oct 21-25
• Week 10 = Oct 28 - Nov 1 also known as Halloween week
• Week 11 = Nov 4-8
• Week 12 = Nov 11-15 where Monday 11/11 is Veteran's Day
• Week 13 = Nov 18-22
• Week 14 = Nov 25-29 also known as Thanksgiving week (NO LAUSD SCHOOL)
• Week 15 = Dec 2-6
• Week 16 = Dec 9-10 where the Holiday Half Marathon is Sunday, 12/15
• Finals Week = Dec 11-17 where 12/16 is the start of Winter Break (NO LAUSD SCHOOL)

nebraska adventure 2024

Yes, I'm back from my time in Nebraska herding goats. Lots of things happened. Richard Simmons died. Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential election. Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. My husband got into a big fight with his brother-in-law and mother. Kamala Harris was endorsed by Joe Biden as the presidential nominee for the Democratic party. I guess I'm leading off with politics because it's so controversial to mention it elsewhere (in real life). And this is my private space where I can say that I'm hopeful for change in America. I hope women go to the polls and vote for Kamala. It's going to be an interesting Fall semester.

One good side-effect of the Nebraska trip is that now I'm back in California, and I'm willing to get rid of a bunch of stuff cluttering our house. I'm implementing strategies for organizing the stuff we're keeping, and I'm ready to part ways with stuff that we don't use. But along with that, I'm also buying new stuff that I think we need. I often get to this part of summer where I realize what projects I won't be able to finish. It's about acceptance. There are only two weeks until Albert starts school!

As for the trip debrief: it is always joyful to see my parents on my birthday. I appreciate now more than ever how much work is involved in raising a child. I also appreciate what a gift it is to spend time with someone. Being present together, allowing others to know you intimately, like all parts of your day and night, all the moods good and bad. It can be challenging though, to have that much contact and to give up control over things like the thermostat, light levels, what you will eat and when and how much. But here is a brief rundown of what we did and how I felt about it at the time.

July 5 - major travel day. arrived at Burbank airport before sunrise and arrived in Burchard near sunset (with a two-hour time difference and at a different latitude)

July 6 - recovery day and my actual 44th birthday.

July 7 - cousin Camp craft #1 (4th of July) suncatchers and the kinesthetic activity was a parachute.

July 8 - waterpark! This was so fun.

July 9 - playdate at Black ranch house. I had a tough night. Lot of coughing and grandma turned the AC off.

July 10 - Cousin Camp field trip to Arbor Day Farm. Monster truck pajamas might just be part of Albert's skin now. Super fun, super hot, super buggy. Got lots of mosquito bites here.

July 11 - Sitting on the floor. Doing my stretches and self care. Not really upset. Feeling like time is passing like molasses. It is slow, thick, and sticky. I'm not really missing home (California) yet. And this environment is not really the Nebraska where I grew up. Not the place, but the people for sure.

July 12 - cousin Camp craft #2 (Christmas) salt dough ornaments and fake snow. Grandma and Grandpa were not impressed with the polymer. They were super worried about how it would effect their septic tank. And it made a huge mess. We also built Elsa's castle out of Magnatiles and put flameless candles inside.

July 13 - AM Cousin Camp (Easter) Craft #3 Bunny Garland with spray painting and wax resist. Activity: Easter egg hunt. PM Cousin Camp (May Day) Craft #4 Tissue Paper Flowers and insects. Glue is fun. Kinesthetic Activity: Ribbon dancing.

July 14 - AM Cousin Camp (Halloween) Craft #5: Yarn Pumpkins, glue was less fun today. Kinesthetic Activity: Costume parade. PM Cousin Camp (St Patricks Day) Craft #6: Coffee Filter Shamrocks Kinesthetic Activity: Scavenger hunt for hidden "pots of gold."

July 15 - We didn't do a track, we did a trail...it was good. Albert mostly stayed in the stroller today. I think he is kind of worn out from Cousin Camp. They're so territorial about stuff. They are constantly whining. Yesterday was very busy. And stressful. We went to the waterpark again. The weather forecast was 107 deg F.

July 16 - It was great to have a nice long chat with DH. I can't let myself think about it too much because then I will start getting homesick. Cousin Camp Craft #6 (Labor Day) was footprint vehicles. The boys had a great time painting their feet and mine. Today Albert and Theodore were stringing beads with emojis on them and then turning their bead strings into a story. It was absolutely so cute. Cousin Camp Craft #7 (New Year's Eve) the craft was rock painting. We painted the rocks with symbols to represent all the other holidays of the year, to represent a year in review. Mentally, I'm hanging on by a thread. In the evening, we went over to pet the goats on the ranch.

July 17 - We finished up some of the earlier crafts, such as the salt dough ornaments. They needed paint. 

July 18 - We just woke up and immediately Albert made his grandpa start reading books.  It was family picture day, which actually went very well. We got some cute mother/child shots, a nice group photo and some really cute pics of the grandkids all together. For Cousin Camp craft #8 (Valentine's Day) we used marbles to paint hearts. I had some foam letters which I stuck on there to make them conversation hearts.We went to the County Fair parade, bounce houses, and the chicken dinner. It was very chaotic.

July 19 - I felt like the end was in sight. The childhood trauma was bubbling up. I had to parent myself this week. I love my family and I don't think we will be able to do this again. I want my kid to know and love his aunts, cousins and grandparents so badly. But I am realizing that I also need to protect my child like I wished any adult would have protected me. I need to set more boundaries. I feel that I need to write out how I am feeling so that I can remember next year. It feels so yucky to go "no contact" full stop. But also I don't want my child to hear my mom just abusing everyone around her and nobody stepping up to say "that's not okay." Cousin Camp Craft #9 - Pinata suncatchers. We put on the Coco soundtrack while we did this craft, which was fun and got me some Disney feels. We went to the waterpark in the afternoon and it was another great choice.

July 20 - This track has been saving my life. Cousin Camp Craft #10 (Fall) we made yarn pumpkins and corn cob windcatchers with pony beads. The craft was supposed to be fall leaf painting with bubbles but somehow we didn't get to it.

July 21 - Last day with all 3 cousins together. Albert rolled himself over on the couch and fell asleep without me right before 8pm. Also he transferred to the bed without contact from me so he must be EXHAUSTED!

July 22 - neighborhood walk with Steph and the double stroller we found on a curb alert. We tried all the configurations of the stroller with the two cousins. And got to walk through "big house land" which is always nice.

July 23 - downtown Omaha adventures with Aunt Steph.

July 24 - another great neighborhood walk and a visit to Hot Shops. And a long travel day to get home.

Final thoughts: There's going to be coffee in hell, but it will always be too hot to drink. There's more I could say about this trip but I don't have the time. I gotta release this into the universe.

Packing list 

Carryon

Baby trend stroller

🎧 Albert's headphones

cheez-it crackers

oreos

m&ms

cherrios

🧻 flour sack towel 

🩲 clothes for Albert

✈️ CARES harness

🫧 bubble fidget toy

Fruit pouches 

Checked bag

🩲 underwear (8)

🧦 socks (7)

walking shoes (wear it)

🩴 flip flops

👖 yoga pants (1)

🩳 shorts (5)

📷 sweat pants / jeans (1)

🎽 tops (7) 

👙 lounge bras (2)

🧴 toiletry bag

🎧 headphones 

🏖️ swimsuits

🤠 hats

💊 Nsaids/vitamins 

👕 long-sleeved shirt (1)

⚡cable for versa 3

😎 Goodr sunglasses

👝 garment bag for washing

🧺 large wetbag for laundry

💰 small wetbag 🌞 Think sunscreen bag

👟 Running shoes

🧦 running socks

✨ Running skirt

⏳ Running belt

👙 Sports bras

🧂 Electrolyte tabs

🪄 Anti-chafe

👛 Park bag/purse

⚡Phone charger 

🤹‍♀️ LM rompers (2)

🕯️Fake candles

Albie

🩳short outfits (7) 

👖 long pants (2)

🌛 pjs (7)

🧦socks (7)

shoes (wear it)

👲 hat

🩲 swimsuit

👢 mud boots

🩴sandals 

Packing List:

🎀 Evelyn’s bows

❄️ Instant snow

💎 Beads

🛹 Skateboard/helmet

👕 Cousin Crew shirt

🩲 Swimsuit

🐣 Easter eggs

🧲 Magnatiles

🏖️ Beach rocks

💯 Stickers

🍜 Buckwheat Noodles

As usual, I brought way too many clothes for Albert; he lived in three pairs of PJs. As usual, I crammed too many busy activities into my carryon, we didn't use ANY of them. I didn't need to bring any snacks, it was a totally fun activity walking around the airport terminals looking for and buying food. It was wild flying home without a stroller. I had four checked bags on the way there and just three on the way home. There's no way I would have been able to get to and from the plane by myself without another adult helping me roll the checked bags / stroller. I should have brought the scooter instead of the skateboard. I think I lost the necklace with his name on it. The fake candles were great as nightlights.

my first run streak

Running is putting it nicely. Most of my June run streak was walking miles. #streakingwiththecoolkids really gave me a feeling of community, daily check-ins with like-minded people. Fun inspiration. Motivation when I needed it or wanted to give up. I don't think I will continue streaking because I did feel injured and I think cross-training is important, such as cycling. I wouldn't say I got any new besties out of it, but I did pick up some new followers on Strava.

TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE YOU MET YOUR RUNCLUB GOALS?

My stated goals were to keep up with kiddo, slim down, and balance mood. I am getting faster. I am slimming down (but not really losing weight). This I have noticed and other people have noticed too. And my moods are all over the place. But my husband noticed and I noticed too that I seem to be smiling more. As I'm learning more about perimenopause and how it interacts with running, I have learned that having protein before the workout (like collagen in your coffee) and protein after the workout can prevent a cortisol release which can therefore prevent a testosterone release, which can therefore reduce a rage feeling. https://www.instagram.com/perimenopause.nutritionist/

WHICH COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM SUPPORTED YOUR PROGRESS? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

Daily reach-outs (WhatsApp), Weekly emails, Recipes, In-person group runs, Client guide, Weekly running journal, Coach's YouTube videos, Coach's texts/emails, F4M on demand, F4M in-person classes, The finish line (CdM Scenic 5k). 

I used the WhatsApp every day to keep in touch with my runners. I didn't get as much out of the weekly email or recipes because they weren't new. Same for the client guide and running journal. I did print out a different running journal and I'm trying to use it. I'm trying to track individual reach-outs in the future so that I can make sure to document how the runners are doing. I did enjoy making a few new YouTube videos and I think I can do a few more before next session. I used the F4M on demand a few times during Session 2 and after, but I more often used a strength program from a book. I did a few in-person workouts for strength or cross-training.

Finish line race report here 
https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2024/06/cdm-scenic-5k-2024-race-report.html 

WHAT ABOUT RUNCLUB+ SURPRISED YOU OR DID NOT MATCH YOUR EXPECTATIONS (WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE)? YOU CAN SHARE YOUR GENERAL REFLECTIONS HERE.

It surprised me how much I missed the daily reach-outs after the session was over. It surprised me how much I was at the "back of the pack" for the actual race day when I had been pretty disciplined with my training cycle. I loved the day we shared photos of our family members and told how we got into running. I was shocked when Fit4Mom deleted me from the Trello but I figured out how to access the new content and there's even a Session 5 now.

MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE TO IMPROVE SESSION 3 (AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER)?

I am just looking forward to cooler weather. I'm getting more involved in other run clubs locally. I'm learning what makes our club unique: that we are women-specific, mom-specific and our routes are stroller-friendly. We encourage moms to bring their kiddos on the in-person runs. Most likely you won't be the only one bringing your child along. Also, some of the other run clubs build community by having the starting line at a coffee shop instead of a park so that they can hang-out afterwards and drink coffee and bond more. I think I had the idea that we would do a 1 hour thingy and then people would want to run home to their families. I didn't consider that they might want to stay longer and commune.

Week 1 Homework 

https://youtu.be/cfYYW4Uc5Mk?si=af17rAx3Ux_DIg-5

Apps

https://youtu.be/mTrnktVqHu8?si=FofRIKtJAHR-B1tw

CdM course 

https://youtu.be/wCooTzPxQ7M?si=cKmB9TSKGCTECbqu

Fix a Flat 

https://youtu.be/mTrnktVqHu8?si=oLOVWseiGPuaaaWK

Strava beacon pt 2

https://youtu.be/_vbEAKi4URE?si=2g4ksY_SZ6-GdHpF

Streak Stories made into a Reel

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Entry into BOB Gear 30 year anniversary contest "My ______ Legacy"

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ambiance

What are the components of ambiance? Architecture, landscape design, lighting and smells. Inspired by "Women of Walt Disney Imagineering: 12 Women Reflect on their Trailblazing Theme Park Careers," I have been putting in touches of ambiance into our home to evoke opulence and cozyness.

I've written previously about which aromas I have, which ones I really like, and which ones I want to buy next. I have found that the oils containing musk just aren't to my liking. In my humidifier, it ends up smelling like "wet dog" and that's just the worst!

http://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2024/01/mom-rage.html

I have been following Provost Park Pass's Walt Disney World hotel challenge on YouTube. One day, I put on the corresponding aroma while watching the resort tour and it was really fun. I immediately felt more immersed and transported, which is important if you are stuck at home, saving money.

The YouTube videos are all in a playlist, but it doesn't say the hotel name in the title of the video, it just says Day 1, Day 2, etc. so I made a list of which hotel was on which day and which scents I have already.* If there is an ❌ then it means there is a corresponding scent but I just haven't bought it (yet).

1. All Star Sports Resort

2. All Star Music Resort

3. POP Century

   ❌ Century

4. All Star Movie 

5. Art of Animation 

   ❌ Animation

6. Caribbean Beach

   ❌ Caribbean Resort

7. Port Orleans Riverside 

8. Port Orleans French Quarter 

   *Orleans Resort

9. Coronado Springs Resort 

   ❌ Destino

10. Polynesian Village 

   *Polynesian 

11. Contemporary 

   *Contemporary

12. The Grand Floridian

   *Floridian 

13. The Wilderness Lodge

   *Wilderness Resort

14. The Boardwalk Resort

   ❌ On The Boardwalk 

15. The Riveria Resort

   *French Riviera

16. The Beach Club

   ❌ Beach Resort

17. Yacht Club Resort

    ❌ Yacht Resort 

18. Saratoga Springs Resort 

19. Old Key West

   ❌ Key West

20. Animal Kingdom Lodge

   ❌ African Lodge

https://magiccandlecompany.com/collections/resort-collection

Century: green tea, lemongrass

Animation: lemon, aloe, lily of the valley, rose petals, white tea leaves, sweet musk

Caribbean Resort: lemon, orange, pineapple, lime, caramel, coconut, buttercream, coconut milk, vanilla bean, musk

Destino: grapefruit, peach, pineapple, cassis, Meyer lemon, Brazilian orange, rose, jasmine, ylang, sandalwood, amber, musk

On The Boardwalk: sweet clover, aloe, marine air, lavender, bergamot, sea minerals, green tea, fresh florals, driftwood, amber, sea moss

Beach resort: green clover, aloe, jasmine, lily of the valley, ylang, cedar

Yacht Resort: green clover, aloe, watery green floral

Key West: coconut, passion fruit, guava, pineapple, banana, melon, grapefruit

African Lodge: sandalwood, jasmine, violet, orchid, bergamot, sweet plum, sheer vanilla, cashmere, amber

🌟 BUY 2 GET 1 FREE SALE - Use Code: B2G1

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3OTvS5E1CgmMRpKmAioGiTgIRHwFGySP&si=Tny05EgIoHYLVFeW

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGCmsltIxRpHYch1hzoJ2ksIyLK95JbX8&si=HXJvGz1Hls6pvRxh

There's another YouTube channel called Park Pass TV that does walking tours of the outside of resorts. They also have a curated playlist of the resorts. I like and watch both. Park Pass TV has motivational 45 minute walks that live stream. I find it somewhat fun to participate in the chat. These content creators are amazing. I so appreciate the work they're doing to inform, entertain, and inspire!

what constitutes swimwear

And why show ALL the skin? I was purchasing a swimsuit for my son and looking for a long-sleeved rashguard or onesie. It hit me that I should be purchasing a long-sleeved suit for myself, too. I'm tired of putting so much sunscreen on and possibly missing a spot in the middle of my back that I can't reach or forgetting to do my chest and getting severely burned, hence accumulating new skin damage.

At my Fit4Mom workout, we discussed what swimsuits typically look like and how impractical they are for motherhood. I was feeling really good about wearing whatever I would wear to a workout (yoga shorts and a sports bra), but then I came across an infographic that said you can't wear non-swimwear to a public pool. Luckily, we usually go to the beach and to the private pool in our condo complex, so there are no lifeguards telling us what is acceptable and what is not.

Here are some of the recent purchases I've made that make me happy.

Barbie Tank Hot Pink https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SPXZYD7

Barbie Tank White https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C9JZ1JPZ

Adult Rash Guard Swim Suit with shorts https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNPWXQJX

CRZ Yoga Shorts with pockets https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C9C34NFY

The Heartbeat Powder, Magenta Purple, Light Grayish Blue, Black

High Waisted Full Coverage Swim Bottom https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XFLZ66N/

https://latchedmama.com/products/latched-mama-high-waisted-swim-bottoms-with-pocket

https://latchedmama.com/products/latched-mama-maternity-postpartum-gathered-nursing-swim-tank-1

https://latchedmama.com/products/latched-mama-lace-up-nursing-swim-top

https://latchedmama.com/products/latched-mama-ruffle-nursing-swim-crop-top-1

https://latchedmama.com/products/latched-mama-long-sleeve-swim-zip-nursing-cover-up

https://latchedmama.com/products/latched-mama-sporty-swim-skirt-with-boy-shorts

Hot Mom Summer!

Disneyland and family reunion debrief

The second half of May was epic and fantastic. I've barely had time to process or recover but I do feel like I need to post this debrief to try and capture some of the magic 🪄 ✨ before it totally evaporates like the June Gloom.

Friday, May 17 

7:30am Kayla took Albert to Daycare 

11:20am Kayla picked up Albert from Daycare, drove to airport

Steph arrived BUR 12:45pm

Food Truck Friday on Chatsworth St

We got to road test the Mountain buggy double stroller.

Saturday, May 18 - 

9-11am month of Mama celebration class

4-6pm Reseda Art Walk  

Another opportunity to road test the stroller.

Sunday, May 19 - Kayla 3 mile training run 

Holleigh Bernson Memorial Park Pick up Fitlicious

Packing for Disney 

Zoom call with grandparents

Monday, May 20 (Disneyland) - Rope drop Jungle Cruise

Tuesday, May 21 (DCA) - Rope drop Little Mermaid

Wednesday, May 22 (Disneyland) Rope drop Pirates of the Caribbean

Thursday, May 23rd - 

7-9am Campus walk 

Disney unpacking 

2-3pm pool

Family dinner with Anne

Galactic Grill Salads 

This day Albert tossed my phone in the pool.

Friday, May 24th

8am Yoga

9-11am campus walk 

Goddess Salad lunch 

Group nap

3-4pm pool time 

Family dinner - Chicken fried rice stir fry

Saturday, May 25th 

7am strength training 

8:00am Kayla apply for unemployment

IKEA and it's a wrap day

Family dinner - Tacos

Too good to go - Leo's Superfood Vegan Cafe

Sunday, May 26th -

3 mile run / Northridge park 

Pym test kitchen bread pud

Pick up Fitlicious

Beach day in Ventura

Too good to go Fish Grill lunch

Pedicures (tarball removal)

Family dinner - pasta

 

Monday, May 27th - **MEMORIAL DAY**

Major cooking day 

Family dinner - baked potato

Bengal BBQ 🥓

Troubadour tavern 🥔

Our cousin Joey came over and got to spend some time with us and the little ones.

Tuesday, May 28th -

Cinnamon rolls 

LA County Arboretum 

Galactic Grill Salads

Steph packs suitcase

Found out that if you have a membership for two adults, only one of the adults needs to be named on the membership. So we all got in for free. And we arrived around 8am to beat the heat and take advantage of early hours for members only.

 

Wednesday, May 29 (Departure 1:30pm) Steph’s date of departure

Red rose 🌹 Grey stuff 

11:30am Drive to the airport

SWA 6017 Steph departs BUR at 1:20pm, arrives 7:55pm OMA

Non-Disney Day Ideas that we didn't do 

Wi spa (kid-friendly) https://wispausa.com/  

Open 24h

$30 regular daily admission fee

2700 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90057 (drivetime 35 - 80 minutes)

Grand spa https://www.grandspala.com/services 

Open 24h

$30 general admission

2999 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90020 (drivetime 35 - 80 minutes)

LA Zoo / Griffith Park / Traveltown 12 month membership started on May 24, 2023

Open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m https://lazoo.org/plan-your-visit/reservations/ 

$22 for adults, $17 for kids over 23 months

5333 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (drivetime 35-55 minutes)

Kidspace Museum in Pasadena / Rose Bowl 

Open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday-Sunday (closed Monday)

$15.50 general admission https://kidspacemuseum.org/visit/hours-and-admission/ 

480 N Arroyo Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91103 (drivetime 35-65 minutes)

Discovery Cube LA

Open 10:00 am – 5:00 pm https://www.discoverycube.org/los-angeles/visit/ 

$18 for adults, $16 for kids, Children ages 2 and under are free. $17 for seniors (age 62+)

11800 Foothill Blvd, Sylmar, CA 91342 (drivetime 22-40 minutes)

Ventura / Underwood Farms / Beach* https://underwoodfamilyfarms.com/somis/ 

Open 9:00am - 6:00pm

Admission to enter the fields and pick is $3.00/person. Under 2 free.

5696 E Los Angeles Ave, Somis, CA (drivetime 45 - 70 min)

Aquarium of the Pacific / Beach / Huntington Dog Beach* parking $8

Open 9am - 6pm https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/visit 

$44.95 adult, $41.95 senior (age 62+), $29.95 child (age 3+)

100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802 (drivetime 55 min - 120 min)

Malibu / Zuma Beach*

Venice Beach

CA Science Center (free tickets via library) / Blue Line / Metrolink

La Brea Tar Pits (free tickets via library) / Miracle Mile https://www.lapl.org/explorela 

Downtown LA / Grove / Beverly Hills Public Library (storytime, free)

Universal Citywalk / Bus

Totally Toddlers / My Gym / Local*

Bike Ride / Orange Line Bike Path*

LA Dodgers game - a friend has season tickets! Children 3 and under can enter the stadium free, provided they sit on a parent's or guardian's lap. Should the parent or guardian want a child aged 3 and under to have their own seat, a ticket must be purchased.

Honestly, I would not have changed a thing about the experience. We had a lot of May Gray. Nobody got sick except Mike. The LoveSac couch made a nice bed in our living room. It was a good decision to clear out the downstairs closet for our guests. I think it made it much easier for them to see their clothes Inventory and know what was clear and dirty. We did laundry almost every day. We ran the dishwasher more than once per day. I showed them the bunk beds so they know they have options for future visits.

Our landlord showed us the empty unit that will be up for sale soon. It seems small but maybe that's just because it was empty. It would be wild to be homeowners. And wild to vacate this unit after we have made so many memories here.