Love, Life and Appreciation

It's Mother's Day! Oh, what it is to be a mom! Being a mom is amazing and we wish all the wonderful and strong moms and moms-to-be a very happy and safe Mother's Day.

It has certainly been different with COVID-19 still present and unfortunately, numbers in Maryland and around the world, haven't gone down. We still are making the best of the situation and doing our best to stay healthy as well. The use of digital teleconferencing has gone up significantly since the pandemic came in full force. We have spent many hours talking to friends and family on platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts.

Yesterday, we spent more of the time talking on Zoom, and today I rested for Mother's Day. It's really been hectic the past couple of weeks, now that all Maryland public schools are closed now for the whole academic year. Now I'm homeschooling to a degree and blessed to still be working but it is still a lot on the plate. Being a mom, in general, requires so many hats and I am so thankful to have learned so much about parenting from my mom and grandparents. Now in the new normal, my mom wants to help out with going over the school worksheets and we are so going to do that. It's becoming overwhelming keeping up with the worksheets and I still want May to still like school whenever in-class learning starts again. My mother is a former teacher too. We just don't want May to be behind going into the second grade and I work on reading and other workbooks with May and Nia, because Nia is going into Kindergarten in the Fall.

Oh, the paths you make to pave a way for your children. I take Mother's Day to really reflect on the journey that is parenting and it's been a winding path of many twists and turns and also so many smiles. When I first found out I was pregnant, I couldn't believe there was life forming inside me and with the sound of their heartbeats, that joy! The first kicks, to the now strong hugs and kicking balls and throwing frisbees with the kids. Life is truly amazing and I am so thankful to have such a loving husband and wonderful father to our kids. We continue to grow as a family in knowledge and opportunities. I truly love my children and we work so hard to prove the best for them and to show them, love, kindness and respect to show to others.

With that being said, Happy Mother's Day!

Today around 11:40 am, the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds flew over our home, in a show of gratitude for frontline workers and to show were are strong through this pandemic.

I had heard about the flyover last week and that the flyover would be in both DC and the Baltimore area. I saw too that there was previously a flyover last week in the Philly metro region. I checked with my parents in New Jersey if they had seen the jets or heard them and they didn't hear them but they saw pictures of the flyover from last week, on the news.

I saw the flight path of the flyover for the Baltimore area and thought the kids, Rex, and I would be able to at least hear it. We have been to flight shows in the past and it can be very loud but so amazing what the planes can do. It was sunny today too and warm and even with the stay at home order still in place, we certainly were going to catch the flyover from either the backyard or the front of the house. Here's the map for Baltimore area:


That loop around Essex is why I knew we would at least hear them. I thought it would be better to view from the front of the house, while Rex stated the backyard would give us the most unobstructed view. We have a couple trees in the front yard in the view path of the flyover. We got out back, Rex and I politely argued about which side to look at and we were still viewing the picture of the map on my phone when we heard the flyover!  The kids were outside with us and I said, "They're here!!!!".

I got to see them and they looked absolutely amazing. The flyover was so clear and smooth. However, I was fumbling with finding the camera on my phone, and by the time I managed to start it up, they were gone. I saw them leave too. I was bummed I didn't get a picture but Rex took so many! He got them! He was ready. I just was so excited, I couldn't get the camera on my phone but also it was so nice to see with my very own eyes. Shortly after our next-door neighbor ran out of the house saying "Did I miss it?"

I looked down and said "Yeah". I felt bad I should have knocked on their door when we first got out there and our neighbor said she waited all week to see it. We have become a good neighbor over the past couple of months and I got the pictures from Rex to send to her through text. She was alright and we spoke for some time about past air shows and places to take the kids for planes and rides when things get back to normal.

The flyover was so fast but it was so nice and I'm happy the kids got to see them. The flyover wasn't as loud as I thought it would be too. I'm so thankful the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds did this and we are all in this together! #AmericaStrong

We just wanted to wish you and your family a very wonderful, healthy and happy Easter.

Stay safe, stay blessed, we are in this together.

                                                                                   - The Sumos

I'm writing this later. The box itself arrived around the 19th of this month. It's been pretty hectic with the precautions of the COVID-19 and the closures.

Here's a break from that though. The March 2020 Insiders Box is the largest one yet. Just take a look at the full box.


The box was so long and a bit on the heavier side. I was really excited to open it! Open it I did and I was pleasantly surprised to see the products!

It's official May has glasses! We went to the eyeglass store today. We are being careful too, with the virus cases growing in America and around the world. We are washing our hands more frequently and using hand sanitizer. We are also staying indoors more, though we did need to get May's glasses and food.

As I stated in the previous post we found out that May had an issue with her vision due to a vision and hearing test, which was given at the school. I found out later, through research that the test is given to the students in 1st grade and again at later grades. We haven't seen May squint and she was not always looking at screens but I do remember when I first found out I needed glasses. I was in my teens and my school work was not at risk, and neither is May's but I had headaches and I remember my grandfather suggesting that I might need glasses.

Well, I have astigmatism in both eyes, May has astigmatism in one eye and that's the right eye. The left eye sees perfectly clear. We went to the eye doctor's appointment and it reminded me of when I was going to get my eyes checked. I absolutely can't stand that puff of air in the eye but May took that puff of air like a champ. The doctor suggested that May get glasses where the left eye has less of a prescription so it does less work and that might be able to help strengthen the right eye. May does not have a lazy eye but the condition is more so an onset to it and even before the official diagnosis, there might be patching involved and a stronger glasses prescription. There even might be surgery, I'm hoping it doesn't get to that.

May has obtained more of my lovely traits. I have asthma and so does my mom and grandmother. May has not been officially diagnosed with asthma but she is respiratory issues and the same machine I used when I was younger. She also has an inhaler. Now she has glasses and she looks so cute. May is actually farsighted and I am nearsighted.

May handles everything like a champ too and glasses have become so more fashionable in the last 20 or so years. She was so excited to get the glasses and it will be a big change but I know she will rock the glasses. Nia now even wants glasses. We'll see about that. Right now Nia's eyes seem to be alright and Nia has no respiratory issues. We still love them all the same and the glasses totally fit May's personality. She loves the color pink!

Well, 2020 has taken a turn for the much worse. It's COVID-19, the Coronavirus and currently, it's sweeping over the entire world. Sound like a movie? I wish it was.

We first heard about the virus back in February. There were many cases of it in China and there was a concern that the virus would travel to other parts of the world but nonetheless, we all continued to go about our daily routine and now that routine is anything but normal.

There are more positive cases in the US and over 3 right here in Maryland. Today the governor of Maryland stated that all Maryland School will be closed starting from March 16th to March 27th in an effort to control prevent the virus from spreading further. May's Spring Break was scheduled for April 6 to April 13th and know we aren't sure if the schools will be open even after the 27th.

I am seeing some schools are closing until the end of April. The school gave many packets and online resources for the children to do over the break. It is not required though, I will work on the material with May. There are a few businesses that are temporary closing and currently Rex and I still have our jobs. I am very thankful for that but I feel for those who went in one day to work and now the place is closed.

There is an initiative to work from home and stay at home also to wash hands and use hand sanitizer. More of what we have learned since we were younger, especially to wash our hands but the virus is deadly and I do have the option to work from home, which thankful for that option in for my job. I don't think I will be able to work the whole two weeks from home though and we are able to take May and Nia over to at-home child care center in which we have been going to for the last 4 years. The child care provider has been so wonderful and we have been so blessed to know here and the learning there for the years. This is actually the last year though. Nia will be Kindergarten this fall and May only goes there if the school is closed.

The kids and the family are alright though and so are parents and friends. It's looking like this virus is going to be very big and even during my flight last month, I saw people with masks on, on the airplane and through the airport but thankful I didn't contract anything and it was all for precations. Well maybe.

We need to get May's glasses too. I took her to the eye doctor about two weeks ago. She had a test in school, that tested her eyesight and hearing and she failed in her right eye for distance. We just have to keep it together in all of this. I have a feeling it's going to be some harder times ahead and Rex's flight to Liberia which was to be from March 21st to April 1st looks like that's not going to happen, due to virus.

Sometimes the best kind of love, is the love of oneself.

Know your worth and that you are important and unique and beautiful.

Yesterday night we went to May's Elementary School for a Bingo Night hosted by the PTA. It was a fun night and there were many parents and students and siblings there. The cafeteria where the event was held was packed. They even ran out of the markers used to splot the number when you have it on your bingo card.

The girls and I had to use pens. That was OK though because we were there to have fun and get out of the home. There was a raffle too for prizes and we did the raffle, there were also snacks, drinks, and sweets for sale at the event. The girls really like barbeque chips! There were a couple of times we came so close but with so many people there, there were actually mini duels for people who had bingo at the same time. May also spoke to some of her school friends and she introduced Nia to some of the friends too. Nia will be a Kindergarten there in the Fall of this year. The school was also doing a penny war between the grades and the jars were in the cafeteria. I gave some change to May and Nia to put in the jars. May knew to put those pennies in her 1st-grade jar.

We got bingo during the blackout round. Hehe. We didn't win any of the prizes though but we had a good time and the kids really enjoyed the event.

Here are some pictures from the event:

The February Coca Cola Insider's box is here! If you aren't familiar with the subscription box by Coca Cola, it's a pilot program introduced in December of last year, in which for 6 months, fans and subscription box purchasers alike, get the opportunity to see new drinks and products in the Coca Cola line.

I wrote about the January box here.

As of now, there is a waitlist for the program, I do hope they continue the subscription and open the subscription up to others.

On to the contents of the box:



Overall, I think this was a good box. I really enjoyed the Cherry Vanilla Coke with no sugar! The Tic Tacs were a very pleasant surprise and I may need to write an update of the Sprite Ginger drink when my mom gets a chance to try it.

Can't wait to see what's in store for next month!

Here it is, part 2 to Calfornia for a solo trip and more the reason of what got me to go! If you missed the first part of the trip, here is that post. The last part of that post was me seeing the Griffith Observatory and going back to the hotel. Gosh that Griffith was mouth-watering.

So the next day was Sunday, remember I got to L.A. the previous day, after a 5+ non-stop flight.  It was sunny the previous day but even before the trip, I was looking at the weather there on my phone and I saw that Sunday was going to be rainy. Of course Oscar Sunday and the rest of the days there were going to be Sunny. Now one thing I learned about rain in California as opposed to rain in Maryland or New Jersey is that the rain in California hardly ever downpours nor does the rain last for many hours. In Maryland, before I left the streets were starting to flood due to the amount of rain.

The morning for Sunday it wasn't rainy in L.A. and I was quite hungry so I walked about two blocks away to a Coffee/Bagel place when I saw right outside my hotel window. As I was walking I got a great view of the LAX Gateway Pylons: