What'z Up Brah?

"What'z Up Brah?" is a common greetings among locals. I just thought I'd use it as opening line for my ramblings. I've been staring at the computer screen and couldn't quite start a post because I got struck trying to organize my thoughts before I type them. Didn't work. The "what'z up brah" worked. Now that's I am typing away my thoughts as soon as it comes to my head, I am not stuck anymore.

1. One day more before my vacation! I am so looking forward to my one week off. Not that it would be a "rest" because I will be working my okele off at home. But it will be so good to deal with some stuff at home that I had been procrastinating on. I am excited about being a "stay at home" mom for a week.

2. The kids are off from school for a week. Hubby took 3 days off. He and the 2 kids are going camping today! They are going to "Mango Land", a land owned by our good friends the K's. We've camped there several times before and it was fun, despite the fact that there's no flushing toilet (gotta dig and bury the stuff if you do number 2); no running water (we bring jugs and gallons of water); and there are lots of mosquitoes. But our kids loves to go there. This proves the fact that kids are really not addicted to TV and computers. If kids nowadays are exposed to nature - given the choice of watching TV or playing in nature, they'd choose nature.

I wish I can go camping with them, but I am not going due to several reasons. First I need to go to work - I have an important meeting I need to go to today at the County Office. Second, Nanay and Tatay won't be comfortable staying at home by themselves overnight, and I don't think Nanay will do well camping. Third, I think it really would be a good bonding time for hubby and the kids if I am not there. They did this once before (they went to Keanae without me) and the memories of the trip are very rich. They really bonded. N expressed how she wishes I can go with them - I told her I'd just make it up some other time.

3. Nanay are Tatay are doing well, relatively well. Nanay hasn't had chest pains for a while. That's good. Nanay is being more and more forgetful - that's not good. She has a couple of fixations: her ID, her wallet, her cell phone (she would lose and find them everyday or several times a week). Most of the time Tatay and I are patient, other times I am a little bit irritated, and many times I am kind of sad and worried that's she's losing her memory.

They are very excited about their trip to LA to visit R & G. N and G asked me "what are we going to do when Tatay and Nanay goes to LA?" The answer is "I don't know". We've gotten so used to them being here and helping us ... I guess we just have to re-group and try to be organized.