Birthdays, Mother's Day, & Anniversary
Here is that backdated entry I promised you back in March! I guess life has been just a tad-bit busy lately. So here we go....
March 29
This was my 33rd birthday and it was on a Saturday. I just LOVE having birthdays on the weekend! So much more time to savor every moment of it. And savor it I did! Here is what I did:
1.) Slept in until 7:30am (heavenly!)
2.) Breakfast with Jeff and Audrey at Pancakes 'R' Us in Pomona - I had cheese blitzes, which were pretty good just VERY sweet! This restaurant may have to take the place of our beloved Mission Diner... that one has been bought out... oh well...
3.) Cleaned the house (yes, my choice - I really don't mind it! I'd rather have a clean house to enjoy my birthday in than sit around in clutter...)
4.) My dad was in the neighborhood so he stopped by and we all went out to lunch in Claremont at La Pain Quotodien (*yum!*). I got my favorite smoked salmon tartine. Right after that, we walked next door to "I Like Pie" for a fancy little pie dessert. They sell pies that are the size of cupcakes. They are cute and don't make you feel so guilty for eating an entire one! Oh dear... I do not remember what kind of pie I got but I'm sure it was good!
5.) Jeff, Audrey, and I just hung out and played around the house the rest of the afternoon.
6.) Date night with Jeff at the Candlelight Pavilion!!! This was his birthday present to me. I LOVED it! Mostly I just loved going out with him (his parents baby-sat Audrey for the evening) but this venue was really classy. We saw "Crazy for You," which is a really upbeat and fun Gershwin musical. Fun fact: I performed as one of the Follies Girls in a high school production of the same musical back in 1998 - good times! Jeff and I sat up in a box seat with another couple at another table. We had great food and a big fun dessert. Oh, also classy cocktails, like "the naughty baby" which was bourbon based! Wow! I really enjoyed the show and got a tickle out of Jeff's surprise that men can tap dance.... (Hello?!) I told him of course men could tap dance - look at Gene Kelly! I guess he just never realized Gene Kelly was wearing tap shoes!
Anyway, what a great night and what a great birthday!
And here is my Facebook photo album (click here)
May 11
Today was Mother's Day and (as always) it was on a Sunday. I knew this day would be rough for me since I miss my mom and it seems that every Mother's Day I dwell on the baby I lost to the miscarriage before Audrey. But on this particular Mother's Day, I just decided to try to not dwell on what is sad and done but rather on what is here and now, which is my dear Jeff and adorable Audrey.
1.) 2nd Saturday Arts Walk! This was actually the night before Mother's Day but we had such a fun time I wanted to write about it as if it was Mother's Day. We had dinner at The Burger House on 2nd Street. I had a delicious pulled pork sandwich and Audrey enjoyed her chicken tenders and fries. Jeff got some huge burger which he also devoured. The Burger House used to be 2nd Street Bistro and was then I think two other restaurants after that before becoming what it is now. I really liked it! Afterwards, we waited for the trolley. Totally worth it as Audrey was grinning from ear to ear! I have made that picture my new profile pic for various social media sites. Such a happy family on such a happy night! We also walked around the dA, which is my favorite gallery. They showcasing student art. Audrey was strangely attracted to drawings of the Cheshire Cat and Maleficent - two characters she has vocalized NOT liking. After that, we headed home for Audrey's bedtime.
2.) Church - I was in the nursery with Audrey and cute little Mateo. I got a real tickle when Mateo said "Audrey" over and over again during our Bible lesson. His dad, Dan, was equally impressed. (Mateo will be 2 in June so he's younger than Audrey and speaking in just words or short phrases.) Anyway, it was fun spending the morning with those two!
3.) Subway sandwich picnic! We had this picnic in our living room on the rug. Audrey loves doing this and often eats all her food when we do!
4.) Real Picnic! We packed some cheese and crackers from The Cheese Cave in Claremont and headed up to Kennedy Park (walking distance from our new home). The cheese was great, the company was pleasurable, and the day was beautiful! Audrey, of course, played on the playground after our meal.
5.) Jeff cooked me homemade enchiladas for dinner! They were really good! He treats me so well. In fact, the entire day was just beautiful. Both Jeff and Audrey showered me with their love and company. It was just what I needed for this Mother's Day.
May 16
This was Jeff's 35th birthday and it was on a Friday. Both of us took the day off to spend time together. Jeff chose the agenda for the day so this is what we did:
1.) Dropped Audrey off at preschool (she cried and little part of us both died when she did...)
2.) Drove to L.A.! I love the drive to L.A. So much to see, so many great conversations to be had, and so much great music to listen to on the way!
3.) We stopped at Silver Lake for some coffee at Intelligentsia. This is the second time recently that I have walked into an upscale coffee shop and froze, not having a clue what I should order. For the second time, I ordered a macchiato. You'd think after my first experience in realizing macchiatos anywhere but Starbucks are very bitter and very small... but like I said, I froze and ordered too quickly. Anyway, we got some pastries too because we knew we'd be having a late lunch. Jeff LOVED his cup of coffee. Intelligentsia is well-known for its delicious high-priced coffee. Jeff says it's totally worth shelling out a few extra bucks on special occasions - and today was just that!
4.) Walked the streets of Silver Lake. It was a really hot and smokey day (there were 9 wildfires burning in North San Diego County! [my dad was ok] L.A. got the updraft of the smoke from those fires) but it was still fun to walk around. We stopped in a children's shoe stores to get Audrey some summer shoes and also stopped in a store similar to M & I Surplus (like a camping/hunting/military type store). I needed sterno for our dinner that night and Jeff wanted some new trucker's hats. We found both for a steal - hurray!
5.) Heritage Square Museum! I put this bug in Jeff's ear as I remembered it was something in L.A. he has wanted to do for awhile. So we toured about six homes and had a great time learning about the homes, architecture, and history. I know Jeff really enjoyed it.
6.) Lunch at The Oinkster in Eagle Rock! Jeff loves reading about places in L.A. and this was one restaurant he really wanted to try. They boast that they are "slow fast food" which means they basically serve gourmet fast food. I got a pulled pork sandwich which was made with Kahlua pork - yum! I also got an horchata shake - wow! Jeff enjoyed his meal too.
7.) We headed back to Pomona before traffic hit and rested at home for a bit before going to pick up Audrey.
8.) Cheese Fondue Dinner! I made Bacon & Gruyere fondue for Jeff and Audrey. They both loved it. Jeff even said it was the best meal of the day! What? Awesome! I just love it when my husband compliments my cooking! I think Jeff had a great day - I know I did!
Here are some pictures:
May 21
This was our 9th wedding anniversary and it was on a Wednesday. Neither Jeff nor I could take the day off because it was the last of school/programs for the kids we work with. I was in charge of music and video for the 6th grade promotion and Jeff had end of the year activities he had to attend to as well. We originally thought we'd spend the weekend together but decided to just go out to dinner. Jonathan & Becca were helping at Pomona Hope on that day so they volunteered to baby-sit Audrey. I was nervous about how Audrey would handle herself because she had been having a few difficult nights in a row when it came to bedtime... She cried when we left but Jonathan texted us a few minutes later saying she was fine. That definitely eased our minds.
We went to 1 + 1 Dumpling House in Chino Hills. Thanks to my friend Megan for taking me to this place last summer. Jeff and I love good dumplings and the prices are amazing. We had shrimp & pineapple fried rice, green onion pancakes, chicken dumplings, juice pork dumplings, pork and celery dumplings, and (my absolute favorite) BBQ pork buns! All for just a little over $20!
After dinner, we headed back to Pomona and had some drinks at the dba Wine Bar in downtown. The atmosphere was lame (given that it was a Wednesday night) and I was cold and we were both so tired so we didn't stay long. In fact, we were back home by 9:30! Oh my gosh.... we are getting old. But it was still a lovely evening and what made it even better was coming home to hear that Audrey gave Jonathan & Becca no trouble at all. Jeff & I really should schedule more baby-sitters...
March 29
This was my 33rd birthday and it was on a Saturday. I just LOVE having birthdays on the weekend! So much more time to savor every moment of it. And savor it I did! Here is what I did:
1.) Slept in until 7:30am (heavenly!)
2.) Breakfast with Jeff and Audrey at Pancakes 'R' Us in Pomona - I had cheese blitzes, which were pretty good just VERY sweet! This restaurant may have to take the place of our beloved Mission Diner... that one has been bought out... oh well...
3.) Cleaned the house (yes, my choice - I really don't mind it! I'd rather have a clean house to enjoy my birthday in than sit around in clutter...)
4.) My dad was in the neighborhood so he stopped by and we all went out to lunch in Claremont at La Pain Quotodien (*yum!*). I got my favorite smoked salmon tartine. Right after that, we walked next door to "I Like Pie" for a fancy little pie dessert. They sell pies that are the size of cupcakes. They are cute and don't make you feel so guilty for eating an entire one! Oh dear... I do not remember what kind of pie I got but I'm sure it was good!
5.) Jeff, Audrey, and I just hung out and played around the house the rest of the afternoon.
6.) Date night with Jeff at the Candlelight Pavilion!!! This was his birthday present to me. I LOVED it! Mostly I just loved going out with him (his parents baby-sat Audrey for the evening) but this venue was really classy. We saw "Crazy for You," which is a really upbeat and fun Gershwin musical. Fun fact: I performed as one of the Follies Girls in a high school production of the same musical back in 1998 - good times! Jeff and I sat up in a box seat with another couple at another table. We had great food and a big fun dessert. Oh, also classy cocktails, like "the naughty baby" which was bourbon based! Wow! I really enjoyed the show and got a tickle out of Jeff's surprise that men can tap dance.... (Hello?!) I told him of course men could tap dance - look at Gene Kelly! I guess he just never realized Gene Kelly was wearing tap shoes!
Anyway, what a great night and what a great birthday!
And here is my Facebook photo album (click here)
May 11
Today was Mother's Day and (as always) it was on a Sunday. I knew this day would be rough for me since I miss my mom and it seems that every Mother's Day I dwell on the baby I lost to the miscarriage before Audrey. But on this particular Mother's Day, I just decided to try to not dwell on what is sad and done but rather on what is here and now, which is my dear Jeff and adorable Audrey.
1.) 2nd Saturday Arts Walk! This was actually the night before Mother's Day but we had such a fun time I wanted to write about it as if it was Mother's Day. We had dinner at The Burger House on 2nd Street. I had a delicious pulled pork sandwich and Audrey enjoyed her chicken tenders and fries. Jeff got some huge burger which he also devoured. The Burger House used to be 2nd Street Bistro and was then I think two other restaurants after that before becoming what it is now. I really liked it! Afterwards, we waited for the trolley. Totally worth it as Audrey was grinning from ear to ear! I have made that picture my new profile pic for various social media sites. Such a happy family on such a happy night! We also walked around the dA, which is my favorite gallery. They showcasing student art. Audrey was strangely attracted to drawings of the Cheshire Cat and Maleficent - two characters she has vocalized NOT liking. After that, we headed home for Audrey's bedtime.
2.) Church - I was in the nursery with Audrey and cute little Mateo. I got a real tickle when Mateo said "Audrey" over and over again during our Bible lesson. His dad, Dan, was equally impressed. (Mateo will be 2 in June so he's younger than Audrey and speaking in just words or short phrases.) Anyway, it was fun spending the morning with those two!
3.) Subway sandwich picnic! We had this picnic in our living room on the rug. Audrey loves doing this and often eats all her food when we do!
4.) Real Picnic! We packed some cheese and crackers from The Cheese Cave in Claremont and headed up to Kennedy Park (walking distance from our new home). The cheese was great, the company was pleasurable, and the day was beautiful! Audrey, of course, played on the playground after our meal.
5.) Jeff cooked me homemade enchiladas for dinner! They were really good! He treats me so well. In fact, the entire day was just beautiful. Both Jeff and Audrey showered me with their love and company. It was just what I needed for this Mother's Day.
May 16
This was Jeff's 35th birthday and it was on a Friday. Both of us took the day off to spend time together. Jeff chose the agenda for the day so this is what we did:
1.) Dropped Audrey off at preschool (she cried and little part of us both died when she did...)
2.) Drove to L.A.! I love the drive to L.A. So much to see, so many great conversations to be had, and so much great music to listen to on the way!
3.) We stopped at Silver Lake for some coffee at Intelligentsia. This is the second time recently that I have walked into an upscale coffee shop and froze, not having a clue what I should order. For the second time, I ordered a macchiato. You'd think after my first experience in realizing macchiatos anywhere but Starbucks are very bitter and very small... but like I said, I froze and ordered too quickly. Anyway, we got some pastries too because we knew we'd be having a late lunch. Jeff LOVED his cup of coffee. Intelligentsia is well-known for its delicious high-priced coffee. Jeff says it's totally worth shelling out a few extra bucks on special occasions - and today was just that!
4.) Walked the streets of Silver Lake. It was a really hot and smokey day (there were 9 wildfires burning in North San Diego County! [my dad was ok] L.A. got the updraft of the smoke from those fires) but it was still fun to walk around. We stopped in a children's shoe stores to get Audrey some summer shoes and also stopped in a store similar to M & I Surplus (like a camping/hunting/military type store). I needed sterno for our dinner that night and Jeff wanted some new trucker's hats. We found both for a steal - hurray!
5.) Heritage Square Museum! I put this bug in Jeff's ear as I remembered it was something in L.A. he has wanted to do for awhile. So we toured about six homes and had a great time learning about the homes, architecture, and history. I know Jeff really enjoyed it.
6.) Lunch at The Oinkster in Eagle Rock! Jeff loves reading about places in L.A. and this was one restaurant he really wanted to try. They boast that they are "slow fast food" which means they basically serve gourmet fast food. I got a pulled pork sandwich which was made with Kahlua pork - yum! I also got an horchata shake - wow! Jeff enjoyed his meal too.
7.) We headed back to Pomona before traffic hit and rested at home for a bit before going to pick up Audrey.
8.) Cheese Fondue Dinner! I made Bacon & Gruyere fondue for Jeff and Audrey. They both loved it. Jeff even said it was the best meal of the day! What? Awesome! I just love it when my husband compliments my cooking! I think Jeff had a great day - I know I did!
Here are some pictures:
May 21
This was our 9th wedding anniversary and it was on a Wednesday. Neither Jeff nor I could take the day off because it was the last of school/programs for the kids we work with. I was in charge of music and video for the 6th grade promotion and Jeff had end of the year activities he had to attend to as well. We originally thought we'd spend the weekend together but decided to just go out to dinner. Jonathan & Becca were helping at Pomona Hope on that day so they volunteered to baby-sit Audrey. I was nervous about how Audrey would handle herself because she had been having a few difficult nights in a row when it came to bedtime... She cried when we left but Jonathan texted us a few minutes later saying she was fine. That definitely eased our minds.
We went to 1 + 1 Dumpling House in Chino Hills. Thanks to my friend Megan for taking me to this place last summer. Jeff and I love good dumplings and the prices are amazing. We had shrimp & pineapple fried rice, green onion pancakes, chicken dumplings, juice pork dumplings, pork and celery dumplings, and (my absolute favorite) BBQ pork buns! All for just a little over $20!
After dinner, we headed back to Pomona and had some drinks at the dba Wine Bar in downtown. The atmosphere was lame (given that it was a Wednesday night) and I was cold and we were both so tired so we didn't stay long. In fact, we were back home by 9:30! Oh my gosh.... we are getting old. But it was still a lovely evening and what made it even better was coming home to hear that Audrey gave Jonathan & Becca no trouble at all. Jeff & I really should schedule more baby-sitters...