Cooper, et al. Done!

I finished my textbook! And I finished it before 12/31/09! Yeah! At the moment, I'm printing out 5 chapters of notes...close to 80 pages. Quite a feeling of fulfillment. (However, I don't even think the rest of these notes will fit in my big binder.)

But I am still stressed. I need to write my Functional Behavioral Assessment paper ASAP to send to my supervisor before I send it to the psych and program specialist before I send it to the parent by Monday 4 PM, who may send it to their attorney on Monday in preparation for the big IEP on Friday.

We are in the midst of cleaning out and renovating Mommy's condo, too.

I'm so thankful for these school vacations...but they hardly ever seem like a vacation!

Brandon from Angel Tree

I have been wanting to participate in church activities for a long time, but I have come up with one excuse after another, ever since I started going regularly a few years ago. More than anything, I really want to join in the Children's Ministry, which is a mix of baby-sitting and teaching about the Bible during the morning session. However, I just haven't been able to commit to the time requirements, even though I really have no reason not to, except wanting my sleep.

So a few weeks ago, as I walked out of church, there was a table set up for the Salvation Army Angel Tree Ministries. I can't remember how long our church has done this, but they join with the Salvation Army each year to "sponsor" children whose parents are incarcerated and cannot provide gifts for their children. I picked up a tag for a five-year old boy named Brandon. On his wish list were toy cars, shoes, and clothes.

With our tight budget this year, I opted to provide little Brandon a mix of fun and necessity with the budget of $20. Fortunately, I got to participate in the South Bay Target's shopping day for individuals with disabilities which meant that I got to join my autism class to shop around and receive $5 off of spending $25. In addition to providing therapy with my kids, I also shopped for Brandon. I ended up getting him a pair of shoes (necessity) and a set of 5 Hot Wheels cars (fun -- which looked really cool).

Merry Christmas, Brandon! I wish you and your family the best. May your hearts be filled with peace, joy, and God's love. I will be thinking and praying for you this Christmas.

Lil F's 5th Birthday

Call us silly or crazy, but Husband and I still "celebrate" our turtle's birthday. We have been counting down all week ("4 more days until your birthday, Turtle!"). Husband said that she was especially active and lively today. We concurred that she must "know" that it's her birthday. :)

We cannot believe she is already 5 years old! A month ago, we had some confusion. We lost track of whether she is turning 4 or 5, but Husband cleared it up when he said he brought her home (or as I like to say, he "rescued" her) two months after we moved into this condo. I remembered that we moved here in 2004.

To celebrate her birthday, we bought her 5 rosy red minnows. Since Husband didn't want to let her chase them in her tank (because they inevitably get stuck under the tile), he put her in her feeding tub and dumped all 5 fish in. She ate them all in less than a minute! We were so impressed with how fast her reflexes still are! Subsequently, we fed her a huge meal of Reptomin and lettuce, which she finished all of.

Happy 5th birthday, Turtle!

Board Games

It's really embarrassing when I I let my students choose any activity (rather than giving then a forced choice), and I have no clue how to play it. What's worse is having a student with a language disorder try to explain the directions.

What takes the cake is when I still don't get it after the student explains and I have read the instructions!

Stupid 20 Questions for Kids.

19 Full Weeks

Max sniffing and wondering, "Hey...What's cooking in the oven?"


"Ooof...A big bun in the oven!"



Rising by the minute!

Lil F is turning 5 years old this Thursday, and she is about 8 inches and 3 pounds (see her in the corner of the tank around baby-t0-be?). This week, our baby-to-be's approximated length is 5-6 inches. Soon s/he will be longer than Lil F!

A Nice Rainy Saturday

I am sitting at our dining table, listening to soothing classical piano music, watching and hearing the pitter-patter of the rain, occasionally staring at this cute single glitter poinsettia plant I got at Trader Joe's (originally to give to my brother, Brian, and Max but Husband wanted to keep it so I bought another one), and studying.


For some reason, the rainy weather and piano music makes a nice Saturday for studying. Only 7 more chapters to go...and then I can start the 200+ practice modules!

My Robe

I have bugged Husband for a boxing robe for a really long time now. I think my desire for one may have started as early as when "Million Dollar Baby" came out in 2004. Although he cannot understand why I want one (nor can I explain it), the day has finally arrived. Husband finally ordered me one! It just came today, and I have been wearing it since then. He even ceremoniously put it on me (after my shower).

Don't hate. It is pure awesomeness.

Since it's a Men's Medium, it has plenty of room for me and baby-t0-be to grow and to keep us warm over the next few months. My favorite part about it? The hoodie that is so big that it covers over my eyes and shrouds me in mystery.

I love it!

16 Weeks and 4 Days

My first baby bump pictures...and what prompted this photo shoot? I was just at Jack in the Box, and a crazy lady walked by me (the crazy kind that is by themselves and talks nonsense to themselves) to go to the soda fountain. After a few more minutes, she walked past me again to leave and she jibber-jabbered somewhat indiscreetly and almost monotonously, "oooo, somebody's going to have a baby. Someone's swallowed the seed..." and that was the last I heard before she walked out.

I was like, Wow, is it really that obvious now? Actually, I feel like I'm showing, but many people gasp, "You're not even showing!" so I take it I just look like I ate two buffets and then some. Just this morning, while I was at the school nurse's office, she said the same thing.

(Unfortunately, I have caught a cold. It is my first time being sick in over 2.5 years! Husband was concerned that I left for work with a fever so he made me go to the school nurse's office to check my temperature before he called the doctor's office for me. No temperature, just a runny and stuffy nose.)

Even though husband was starving when I got home, I made him take pictures of me and our baby pronto. Ladies and gentlemen, our first baby bump photos...!



Okay...now I see our baby in the last photo:

Any predictions on if baby will be a boy or a girl? And guesses for names?

Dog Crazy

I know I am crazy about dogs. Yesterday, I left a voicemail for my brother asking how Max was doing (b/c he's had some stomach problems lately). I also added that I am totally obsessed with Max because I think about him all the time. When I think about him, he makes me crack up. I even admitted through e-mail the other day that I go on my brother's Facebook page just to look at pictures of Max when I'm feeling down, missing Max, or need a good laugh just because.

Today, after my training, I stopped by the local pet store to pick up some (free with coupon) toys for him and return a conditioner I got him. (Yes, I'm proud to say that this is Max's vacation home. He even has shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, food and water bowls, quite an impressive selection of dog food, and his own blanket. Just not a real dog bed...unless you call Husband's bed/our sofa his bed. He likes to sleep on it and the other day, he actually "fluffed" it.)

Digression: I got him some fancy shampoo that has a coconut scent and fancy conditioner with a pink lilac scent. Separately, they smell great. Together, it smells like one of the scents that I hate the most -- musky, stale hairspray on women. For some reason, I really, really cannot stand that smell! It ranks right up there with manure, dog poop, and trash. So I had to return it, especially with my hypersensitive smell these days.

As I was making my return, I saw across the way that a guy had a really cute puppy. I couldn't tell what kind of dog it was; kind of looked like a boxer. When he was done checking out, the puppy moved ahead and an adult Great Dane followed him! I got soOoOOOo excited! It is so rare to see this ginormous dog. A few weeks ago, I told Husband that if we have a huge house/yard someday, I'd totally want a Great Dane. (Of course he said no way.) I was even more giddy b/c I got to pet the adult Great Dane. The owner mentioned that the adorable puppy is a Great Dane puppy that is 10 weeks old and the adult female is 7 years old.

I drove away all giddy and thinking, "I actually saw a Great Dane and a puppy!" On my way home, I told baby-t0-be, "One day, you'll get to see these great doggies, too, and hopefully, you'll love your uncles' doggy as much as I do...then the 3 of us can go on walks together!"

Pre-Thanksgiving Thoughts

When we were young and spent Thanksgiving dinners at Pastor Aunty's Monterey Road House in San Marino, I remember she had us sit in the living room after dinner and go around and share what we were thankful for. I wish I remember what cheesy things I said.

We don't do that any more, but I think it would be a great tradition to have in the future. (Unfortunately, these memories were recalled by the latest episode of "Dexter," which I hesitatingly watch now that I effortfully avoid gory, gloomy, and maladaptive shows.)

I have been daydreaming about our Thanksgiving dinner for probably a month now. First of all, I am really excited because it is Husband's first family gathering. Our family gatherings usually start off with half of the adults in funky moods but by the time we all gather around to pray and thank the good Lord for everything, everyone's fine by the "Amen." Good food is gathered on plates and we separate to our respective "adult" and "children's" tables (never mind that the youngest of my generation is now 20 or 19? How young are you, Andrew?). I'm really looking forward to Husband experiencing the fun of our family gatherings.

The thought of eating delicious home-cooked entrees has also taken over my mind, especially this past week. Husband asked me if we usually have a traditional meal (i.e., American) or Chinese. I told him it's always a mix of both, and the percentage is unpredictable. Sometimes it's 50/50; other times, it's 70 (Chinese)/30 (American), but we always have a turkey. This year, I'm hoping for more American -- mashed potatoes, corn, mac & cheese, candied yams...mmmm...but since we're not supposed to bring anything, Husband and I are planning on sneaking in Patti LaBelle's Over the Rainbow mac & cheese recipe and Marie Callendar's cornbread (well, baked from their mix). I'd also make mashed potatoes but dude, I'm on a much-needed break so that just sounds like too much work. ;)

MmmMmm...I'm hungry! Two more days!

Moving Mommy's Stuff

This morning, Bro and I headed out to Mom's condo to start moving her stuff. It's crazy b/c it's a lifetime of possessions...that she no longer needs nor wants to/can keep. We went a few weeks ago and that was the first time I had stepped foot into her place since 9 or 10 years ago. We gathered bits and pieces of reminders of our childhood -- mainly pictures that we had never seen both of when we were young and also before my parents had us. I didn't take much to keep except a sewing basket (not that I am a seamstress, but I always wanted one b/c of Gramma), a Little Twin Star and Hello Kitty washcloth that we used to use, and Mom's apron.

Today, my job was to go through Mom's closet and drawers and pack up her clothes to donate. It's weird because I don't remember Mommy wearing any of those clothes that I saw, save a few pairs of pajama sets and maybe a white dress that she wore for my high school graduation (only remember from pictures). Mom said I could look through and keep what I'd like. I found a beautiful traditional Chinese Qipau top in aqua blue and a beautiful, black traditional something outfit (bro and I couldn't figure out what country -- India? Thai?). I felt like I totally scored when I found Mommy's Hello Kitty mug in the dishwasher.

But the best keepsake was finding my Hello Kitty sticker diary from 1986-1987. It's pretty funny to see how I used to write and the progression in just a year. Obviously, I still lacked creative writing skills -- I'd choose a sticker from the front of the book and use it as a writing prompt.


Date: November 4, 1986
Sticker: I've got a secret!

I've got a secret place were my mother lives it's a nice place there to live in. And I love it and in my mothers place theres no bugs and whenever Ben don't come with me then I get to sleep with my mom. She is realy nice thats why I love her.

Date: September 29, 1987
Sticker: Fun with friends!

Today i'm going to talk about the first day of school. I got to be with my friends Some of them are new. Well today I went to the dentist witch is my Aunty Joyce. She is having a baby tonight she had to go to the hospital. And my brother got a instrument for a band he entered. He got a clarinet. Today was a fun day four more days then my birthday!

(That baby ended up being cousin Nathan. :)
(How I ended up with decent grammar, spelling, and language is amazing.)

We still have more work to do at Mom's but hopefully, we'll wrap it up in the next few weeks and then rent her place out. We made a huge donation to Good Will (clothes, furniture, and other stuff) and then headed to Little Tokyo for dinner, since I was craving Ramen.

We ended up having dinner at Orochon Ramen, a place that Husband and I had seen on Man Vs. Food. Much to our disappointment, it wasn't worth the hype. Our ramen ended up being too salty, the service was maybe a 3.5 out of 10, and my brother's ramen had so little in it (little soup, noodles, and barely any vegetables).

We redeemed our dinner by going back to my brother's, emptying both cars, and then having McDonald's sundaes and apple pie with Brian and Max. :)

Through it all, I am sooooooo thankful I have a week off for Thanksgiving!!!

Starbucks

I have to admit that I get really excited when I see the read Starbucks holiday season coffee cups. It's another happy reminder that Thanksgiving and Christmas is near!

This morning, I went to Starbucks for a decaf nonfat White Chocolate Mocha with a dollop of whipped cream...and it is heavenly. So good that I have to blog about it, (after weeks of nothing blogworthy).

You see, I've been a coffee-fiend for well over ten years. The fact that I haven't had any coffee since August is a record, since I first started imbibing in such sweet delights. Yes, I am breaking my rule (rule: no point in getting Starbucks if it's decaf), but it's worth it.

My coffee this morning is better than I anticipated.

Sigh...So delicious. A great way to start the second to the last day before my one week Thanksgiving Break! Yahoo!!!

"Fashion" Comeback

Since when did raver bead bracelets come back in "fashion"? This week especially, I've seen so many middle school students donning up to half a dozen on each arm, including many of my own students.

Um, please don't tell me that they are going to raves. Ironically, this is also Red Ribbon Week. Let's hope The Future of America is saying no to drugs!

Jolly Rancher Square Lollipops

This is what I do when I am procrastinating reading/studying...I do things like searching online (and in stores) for the original Jolly Rancher square lollipops, and then I contact Hershey's, the maker of Jolly Rancher candies, to say this:

Hello, I have been looking wherever I can (supermarkets, drug stores, candy stores) for the original Jolly Rancher lollipops, which are the square-shaped. I have been disappointed in my search and apparently, others who have shopped online at Amazon.com have come across the same disappointment. Do you still make the square lollipops (without fruit-center chews)? Those of us who love the originals swear they taste different - and better - than the fruity-chewy-center ones now (and the original hard candies). If they are discontinued, why were they and will you ever bring them back?

I know I sound desperate...but it's b/c I am! I just want to satisfy my 3-week long and counting craving. :( They're just not the same as the small, individually wrapped pieces either! I hope they respond. Like by sending a huge box of the original lollipops. Maybe they won't b/c I had the audacity to point out/remind them that the original lollipops are the square-shaped ones, as if they didn't know.

Back to studying, until I think of another harebrained idea to "research."

The Great California Shakeout

Today, our school participated in the Great California Shakeout, a state-wide earthquake drill. In preparation, I spoke to my students beforehand. First of all, I don't know what to think about this -- so many of my students remember a big earthquake from last year....why can't I?? It wasn't during school hours so I can imagine what probably happened at home: I'm sitting at the dining table at my laptop with my back to the turtle's tank. Husband is sitting at his computer or on the sofa. The ground shakes and we hear what sounds like thunder rolling and we look at each other and say, "earthquake!" and both get up and hold onto the turtle's tank. It ends and we stare at the turtle to see if she's spazzing out. Life returns to normal within minutes.

For my kids, it's something different. They clearly remember what happened and what they were doing. One student said he ran outside with his friend, but his friend had the wherewithall to grab his laptop before going outside. I was pretty impressed. He was cracking up saying how lots of people ran outside...in their pajamas. That got me to ask them what one possession they would grab if they had the time/chance. One said his money. Another said his money and a bat. The last one said shoes, clothes, money, and food. The first one (that said money only) then added his iPod. (So much for ONE possession...)

Ever since I was little, I always tried to think about what I would grab if a devastating natural disaster hit. I can't say much has changed -- I'd still grab my Hello Kitty. Just don't tell my students...

30 is the New 20, Right?

On Friday, I celebrated by 30th birthday by doing what I wanted to do...relaxing and eating well!

I took the day from work since our original plans were for us to spend two nights in Anaheim and go to Disneyland on my birthday. Plans were then changed a few weeks ago but for a very good reason.

So Friday morning, I went to watch Husband's boxing lessons and took a pleasant leisurely walk around the huge park (2.2 miles). Afterward, I visited Mom. She really wanted me to visit b/c she just got back from Taiwan and visited my oldest aunt on her side. Together, they bought me an adorable blingy Hello Kitty watch! It's so crazy but I love it! It's totally fun and cute for those days that I am feeling a bit adventurous and wanting to wear a "novelty" watch. :)

So what if I'm 30 and still love Hello Kitty?

After that, I drove back home and then we ate a light snack while we waited to meet up for dinner. I ended up taking a nap since I wasn't feeling so well. Dinner was at Porterhouse Bistro, one of our favorite restaurants. Sadly, 33% of our company couldn't make it! (FBIL and his mom.) We had a yummy dinner with Bro and Lynn. Dinner was interesting since I tried new dishes. I had their soup of the day which was a butternut squash puree. I also had their Porterhouse steak and hands down the best french fries around. Dinner* was of course the signature chocolate lava cake. Yummy goodness!

[*I actually meant "dessert"! Thank you BSILF for pointing that out! Although really, these days, dessert could very well be my dinner! I eat my lunch for breakfast. My meals are all haywire!]

I was pretty sleepy by the end of the meal so we came home and I pretty much went straight to bed.

On Saturday morning, our plans changed a bit, too. Our original plans were to go to the Jewelry Exchange, have lunch at Trump National Golf Course, and then end the afternoon with a pleasant walk around Lake Shrine. Well, hitting 1/3 of our plans wasn't too bad. We went to the Jewelry Exchange to fix my engagement ring and I got a lot of my other jewelry cleaned. (When I got my wedding set back, I put it on and cheesily said, "I've missed wearing these!" It has been a few weeks since I knocked my centerpiece loose. I have no clue how!) We didn't see anything that I really wanted for my birthday, though, so we left.

Afterwards, we stopped by our Chen cousins and went out to a delicious Italian lunch (Roma D'Italia in Tustin/Irvine). It was soOoOo delicious! Husband and I haven't had Italian food since our European honeymoon so it sure brought back nostalgic memories. I ordered a delicious spinach ravioli in alfredo sauce and had some salad and bread with a lot of mozzarella cheese melted in the center. Yummy!

So, we didn't make it to Trump but that's okay b/c I think it would be a lot more "appropriate" for our anniversary. We also didn't make it to Lake Shrine since we would have gotten there when it closed if we did. Plus, I was just so tired by the afternoon. When we got home, I had a special package from BSILF waiting to be opened. BSILF had sent all the way from NY a very special gift for me -- a beautiful, soft, black shawl! I can't wait to wear it! Lately, when I leave for work in the mornings, I breathe in the cold, crisp air and tell myself how I can't wait for Winter to come. I love bundling up for outside and then coming in to warm, cozy places.

All in all, my birthday weekend was really nice and mellow. It's funny how it turned out. A few years ago, when my bro, Husband, FBIL, and others were celebrating their 30th, it was a big event so I imagined mine would be something along those lines, but in the end, it was super chill and mellow with wonderful company, delicious food, and lots of R&R. Not much more I would ask for!

Bitter-Sweet Compliments

Today, I got really nice compliments.

There is a student with severe autism with very aggressive behaviors. I have been extremely fortunate that he has not "attacked" me (although he has come close). I'll admit that if he's standing in the doorway and I need to scurry past him, my heart probably skips a beat.

The "good" news is that he has been doing extremely well in his individual speech/language therapy sessions with me. I say "good" in quotes b/c it's a bit like a double-edged sword. I will most likely need to be taken off his case for safety reasons in a few months; however, if my boss knows that I'm working out well with him (i.e., he's making progress and not attacking me), then I'm not sure if she'll be convinced that I should be taken off this case.

Anywho, he has an NPA behavioral aide and a County aide who both accompany us in the sessions mainly for my protection (doesn't this sound crazy??). At the end of today's session, his NPA, who has been collecting data on him for the past few months, said to me, "He does so well with you. I never knew that he knew so much and could say so much."

Later on, I was working with another student and she happened to be sitting in the room for a break and at the end, she said, too, "I barely hear him talk. I didn't know he could talk so much, too, but he did really well with you."

I was really appreciative of her observations and compliments. :) But then I thought about it later and realized that it's bitter-sweet. Sure I might be doing a great job with the students individually, but what good is it if it is not carrying over and generalizing across settings with other individuals? I know that generalization and maintenance is generally the most difficult phase with learners with autism, but it just serves to remind me that my job will never be complete. Maybe this is what Yahoo and Monsterjob articles mean when they talk about SLPs having job security. 1/2 j/k

On the real, that's what so great about this field. There is always something new, challenging, and intriguing. It's constantly evolving...and it's just plain fun. At the end of a group therapy session, another aide said to me, "You look like you really enjoy what you do."

I broke out into a huge smile and said, "Yes, I LOVE it." :)

Vegas Wins

Dude, how awesome is it that I won in Vegas without even going?

Husband went to Vegas from Saturday to Monday to visit the in-laws/his parents and since I wasn't able to go, I gave him a C-note to gamble. I had very explicit instructions: $50 on dollar slots, $25 on quarter slots, and $25 on penny slots.

Yesterday, I had an IEP after work, but I left early to pick Husband up from the airport. After our hellos, he said, "You won a little money. Guess how much?" "$50?" "No, but close." "$40?" "No, keep guessing." "$60?" "You won $350."

"WHAAAAAAATT?!?! High-five to that!...Wait, is that why you said I'm treating for dinner?" (How is $50 "close" to $350?)

Husband has this theory that women at a special time in their life should go to Vegas and gamble. Last time his cousin did, and she won like thousands. I thought it was pretty sweet that I didn't even have to go to win. :)

The low-down went like this: Husband/I didn't win anything on penny nor quarter slots, but with the dollar slots, he bet big -- like max bets of $5!!! Crazy! (What is with me being able to have him bet big for me but if I were actually there and/or betting, I wouldn't be even near the dollar slots?) Anywho, he got 2 free spins and banked about $375 and played down to $350 before cashing out.

Sweet!

First Full Week of the School Year

This was only the second week of school, but I almost feel like I'm back in the full swing of things. The first few weeks are always hectic. We're under the gun to schedule our students and begin seeing them ASAP, but there are so many difficulties with scheduling -- track schedules, minimum days on Thursdays, alternating block schedules on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and to top it off, I found out after I scheduled my SDC/Learning Center kids (which is about half of my caseload), their schedule will be changing who knows when since they just took a reading placement test...so it's back to the drawing board again. Somehow between all that, I need to fit in my autism kids.

With that being said, I had a really fun week seeing some kids I had when they were sixth graders (who are now eighth graders towering over me!!) and some new kids. It was also tiring since I was practically running between the Autism class and our Speech Room to see both caseloads.

As for the general middle schoolers, they are so funny! At the end of each day, no matter how tired I was, I left work with a huge smile, thanking God that I love my job (and I really enjoy the students I work with). Yesterday was a day with huge variety. I saw an eighth grader who I had when he was in sixth grade. I felt kind of bad b/c he seemed to be so shy about all his acne...and I didn't want to bring more attention to it by telling him, "Don't touch it!" (Not just because of scarring...but it's just gross hygiene to pick!)

Later on, I had two new kids. One is the younger brother of a kid I had who is now in high school. D, the brother in high school, was one of my more entertaining kids. He is so unique. D is high-functioning autism, and he used to perseverate on comic characters that he came up with and drew. By the end of his 7th grade, he had 120 characters and when I asked him who his favorite character was, he flipped through the 150 pages and found the exact one and said, "Super Sweaty Armpits Guy because the smell from his armpits kills the bad guys" as he pointed to a character with wavy lines (i.e., fumes) coming out from under its pits.

Anywho, I am delighted to have his younger brother (typically developing, in speech for a mild lisp). I asked how D is and he said he's now on the football team! I was so happy to hear that (with respect to his challenges in social interactions). This younger brother, A, and I carried on a really fun conversation that went from talking about school to careers (now that I'm writing that, it doesn't sound like you can have a fun conversation about school and careers, but we did). I prompted him to ask me a question and so he did.

A: Did you used to have a speech problem like us and did you grow out of it?"
Me: No, but why do you ask?
(Obviously I knew why, but I'm leading the conversation on.)
A: Well, some people used to have speech problems and they grow out of it and so they want to help others grow out of it, too.
Me: I think what you're trying to ask is, how did I become a speech-language pathologist (which is our fancy title) or speech teacher.
A: Yeah.

So I explained to him in brief and also mentioned that my job isn't just working on artic but sometimes, students have difficulty in other areas like forming their sentences with correct grammar, coming up with the right words to say, and understanding what others are saying.

A: So did you have to go to college and get a Bachelor's degree?
Me: Yes, but I also had to go to grad school.
A: WHOA! So you had to get like a Masters degree?
Me: Yup.
A: WHAT! You must be smarter than the principal!!!!

LOVED IT!!! Haha! (Well, there are a lot of reasons that I found this hilarious, but I can't go into the politics.)

But no, I didn't let him leave thinking that I'm smarter than the principal. I told him that we have different degrees (heck, she makes about twice as much as me). I said that she has to have what's called an Administrative Credential and that her job is very challenging. I work with up to 4 students at a time, but she is not only in charge of all 40+ teachers, but the 1,200 students at this school.

Still, that's awesome. He thinks/thought I was smarter than the principal. :)

I also had a great session with one of my autism kids. On the first day that I did snack, I was the antecedent to a major meltdown...and this kid's crazy meltdown set off 5 out of 6 of the other kids! During my first individual session with him, his non-public agency (NPA) aide sat with us and took data. At the end, I said, okay, we're done and she said, "Okay, let's see, so that was uh 13 minutes..." and jotted it down. I justified, "Well, I want to see his level of functioning and don't want to push him too much." I can't set myself up for future failure by pairing myself with such an adversive task this early on...especially since the NPA told me that he HATED speech (at his previous school). He used to throw the biggest tantrums and scream bloody murder so the other SLP barely worked with him. So yesterday, I saw him again -- this time for the full 30 minutes. The NPA was so impressed. She said at the very end, "He has NEVER sat through 30 minutes of speech! He didn't even scream [when I asked him to give me his water] and he answered so well! He didn't even need that many redirections!" That made me feel really proud (hey man, it's a lot of pressure to redeem the negative SLP image that many NPAs have). I think it really helped b/c 1) there were a lot of mini-breaks built in (he could ask for cookies or water at any time) and 2) we had a visual reward system going that the aide paced well. The big difference that I noticed was that when I would break off a piece of cookie for him, he didn't try to grab the whole cookie (which was what caused the major meltdown on Day 1). That was HUGE in my book.

Later on, I serviced another kid that I think is my most challenging one. She is probably the only high-profile case and by a landslide. I talked with my colleague and shared my personal opinion. For me, I find students with Asperger's and high-functioning autism (HFA) to be my most challenging. (Yes, I actually find the kids with severe autism to be "easier" to work with.) It's because they are so aware...yet not. I think it takes a special skill and art to work with Asperger's and HFA...one that I have certainly not honed yet but I hope to gain a lot of practice and knowledge in my years working.

A little more history. I only got to work with her for 1 month last year before my assignment was switched. We worked on pragmatics, since she perseverates on topics which I think makes her interrupt conversations to ask questions on the topic still on her mind. My colleague (that I share this assignment with) had her over the summer, and she gladly had me take this case because over the summer, C threatened my colleague and said crazy things like, "I'm going to take this pen and stab you in your old ugly heart and kill you." I was shocked that 1) her NPA didn't stop her from saying that and 2) she was even saying that!

So when C came in, I said we were just going to talk. (This girl is VERY smart but needs to work on social skills.) I asked her how her summer was and she said she did nothing except watch an action-drama about 14 campers.

Me: Okay, tell me more.
C: Well, there were 14 campers and they all died.
Me: Wait a minute. First you told me there were 14 campers and suddenly they all died. We're missing a lot of details in between! What happened?
C: They were poisoned.

So the conversation goes on...and before I know it, she was perseverating on poison and death and had me drawn deep into the discussion. So I had to give both of us a reality check. I flat out said, "I noticed you like to talk about violence and death. Why is that?"
C: I don't know.
Me: I ask this because it's not very normal for girls your age to talk about these things. What do girls your age like to talk about?
C: I don't know...make-up, boy bands, magazines.
Me: Exactly! So when you go out to recess and lunch and talk with other girls, do you think they want to hear you talk about poison and death?
C: No...
Me: Right, they want to talk about make-up and all those things you mentioned.
(I was so proud of myself for that one...even though you might think it's so logical to say that!)

I noticed that she also liked to ask questions that she already knew the answer to (like where does poison come from? She thought of poisonous puffer fish, poisonous snakes, etc.). So we talked about that. In retrospect analysis, I think that's her way of initiating the topic she wants to talk about. Clever! But still, not okay if it's about topics that "typical" kids don't talk about.

The last thing I noticed is that she doesn't like to tell the truth. She showed me a millefiori heart she had in her hand. (I had a mini-flashback of Husband and my honeymoon, when we went to the glass factory and learned how milliefiori/mosaic glass pieces are made. Quite thrilled about this unique teachable moment.)

Me: Where did you get that?
C: I made it.
Okay, please girl, you think I was born yesterday? (Even though I just learned about this profess a month ago?)
Me: Really? Tell me how YOU made it.
C: Um, I don't remember.
Me: I'll tell you how it's made.
And I had her count how many different pieces there were (7) and explained that each design she saw was cut from a piece of glass and then they were all laid out and melted together and cut into the form of the heart.

Then my closing statement: I want to talk to you about something. When I asked you about this, you told me you made it, but I know that you can not make that. That means you are lying to me, and I don't appreciate that. I tell you the truth so I expect the same respect from you. Can we agree on that?

She didn't answer but asked another question.

So I said, I'll answer your question after you answer mine. Can we agree to not lie to each other? She acquiesced and we were cool. (Later on, she asked me a question that I didn't know the answer to so I said, "I honestly don't know. If I knew the answer, I'd tell you." Just to reaffirm what I was trying to get across.)

In retrospect, I feel like working with these types of social skills challenges is a lot of stepping out of my comfort zone. I'm not used to being so blunt, but what I've learned (from fabulous experts) is that we do these kids a disservice if we don't speak forthright with them, and we play into their perseverations and off-topic comments, questions, and discussions. It's just that as adults, we have been trained socially to not say certain things. We now intuitively now what communication lines/topics to not cross...but with kids with AS or HFA, our job as therapists is to continue to bridge that gap.

When she left, my colleague, who could hear the whole session, said, "Wow, I can't believe she responded to you that way. She would see me and start with the threats and not even give me the time of day."

Believe me, it was no easy task for me. Even though I had a "great day of therapy," I know there will be days where sessions don't go so successfully, but what is always comforting to know is that in the grand scheme of things, I'm helping others and I love what I do.

Last Minute Dates

Brian called me around 8:30 AM and said he wasn't going to work today. I thought that was all he was going to tell me (meaning I wouldn't be pet-sitting Max today), but much to my pleasant surprise, he asked if I wanted to go on a morning walk at the beach with him. I was thrilled! We didn't bring Max since, per Brian, we needed some "adult time." Ha! Besides, Max already had his morning walk and our beach date meant walking almost 2 hours at a fast pace.

We did the usual route of starting from Santa Monica Place, walked to Venice, and went to the end of the Washington Pier where we watched a fisherman reel in a fish. It was time well spent as we caught up and talked about many things under the sun. I am always up for a beach walk with Brian (and my brother).

After my date ended, the Husband came home. It wasn't long after that he was going on a "man date" with Brian. Haha. They went out to watch "District 9" while I had a date with Max. :)

My last few days of summer vacation have been soOoOOOooOo relaxing....aaaaahhhh....

Last Week of Summer Vacation

Summer vacation this year has been awesome, so I am sad to see it coming to an end. I begin work next Tuesday, but I have plenty to look forward to this academic year.

This summer, I worked Extended School Year (ESY) with middle and high school students with moderate to severe disabilities. I had a total blast. Two weeks after ESY, the Husband and I went on our honeymoon-vacation to Europe for 10 days, something that I felt so blessed to do. For the rest of summer vacation, I have been doing nothing much except relaxing, catching up on long-neglected tasks, and spending time with the family.

The Husband's been asking me if I'm excited about going back to work. Although I am not hyped about the idea of working again, I am excited about what this year brings (and getting regular paychecks again). I am looking forward to returning to my original assignment of working full-time at the middle school, serving both the District Special Education caseload and the County SDC-Autism program. A few nights ago, I thought of another aspect I am anticipating -- I will not be supervising nor training anyone this year! I am only accountable for me, myself, and I! That will be a nice load off. Hopefully, I will be driven enough to use my "extra" time to finish up my BCBA studies. I am also looking forward to a drama-free year...or one that pales in comparison to last year (translation: much less stress).

I am a little bit anxious about the adjustment period though. The first month will be busy as I get back into the groove of things, adjusting to new situations and students. But I know that it's going to be alright.

Pet-Sitting Reward

Brian dropped Max off around 9 AM and mentioned that Max was really tired since they had gone for a walk. He wasn't kidding!

When he wasn't napping, he was lazily sprawled out like this for most of the time. Except for the one time he snuck into the bedroom and almost chomped on my lamb stuffed animal. I had strategically placed all of my stuffed animals in the middle of my bed but left Lamb Chops on my chair. He thought I wasn't watching him so he got on his hind legs and was about to chomp down when I caught him in the act. It must be so hard for him to resist the temptations. He LOVES stuffed animals...especially the ones that squeak. The dog goes bonkers with squeakers.

Yesterday, Max didn't take any naps, which was unusual. I think it was b/c he probably slept through most of the hot morning until I picked him up around 1:30 PM so he was all energized while he was with Hubby and me.

He must have had sympathy pains for me today. I only got about 3 hours of unrestful sleep last night thanks to some poor decision-making -- I had caffeine late in the day, had an intense and long workout late in the day, and going to bed hungry (even though I ate a late dinner). So I got up around 3 AM, tossed and turned for a while, ate a snack (which is reminiscent of my Dad! He used to do this mid-night snacking all the time!), and started reading The Verbal Behavior Approach by Mary Lynch Barbera. By 6:30 AM, I was halfway through! I was so proud of myself! I don't know what it is, but I just don't read books. I joke that I have undiagnosed ADD, but truthfully, I'd rather surf the internet than read a book. I also meant to read this book before I start work next week so high five to myself because it looks like it's going to happen!

Anywho, there were two best parts of pet-sitting Max today. First, I got to nap with Max for the first time! Hubby let me take a nap with Max on our sofa. :) He's the perfect size, not too big and not too little. He had his head resting on the pillow, too, while I held him and we napped for half an hour.

The other best part? FBIL came to pick Max up earlier than I expected, and he had a huge box of ridonkulously delicious treats from Angel Maid Bakery for us!


I felt like I was back in Rome when I was double-fisting the cookie and ice-cream cone. After dinner, I walked out of the kitchen with a cream puff in one hand and the tiramisu in the other hand. MmMMmMmMMMMm! Thanks Brian!

Love the Hello Kitty cookie! I'll probably save it for last because it's almost too cute to eat!

Max meets Rose, Mango, and 2 sea otters

As Bro soaks up the rays under the sweet Hawaiian sun with Dr. Cousin and Attorney Cousin, I started pet-sitting Max today.

Unfortunately, I picked him up a little late today. Thankfully, he didn't experience heat-stroke or anything. I brought him back to our place and this time, he didn't take any naps (that was a first). With every visit, he gets more and more comfortable.

Today, he crept into our bedroom several times. Unfortunately, our bedroom door doesn't stay tightly shut so with a little nudge from a moist nose, he can mosey on in. Earlier, I caught him staring at my Hello Kitty for like 2 minutes before I broke his focus. Another time, he got within a few inches of my sea turtle, Mango, before I caught him. The last time, he got to the other side of our bed and was about to pounce on my sea otters!

I guess it doesn't help that our mattress is on the floor right now so my stuffed animals are within his eye-level...(Note: I'm planning to buy a platform bed frame for our new mattress when I get my first paycheck in a few weeks!)

Before he left, he sat in my lap while I sat in a dining chair, and he stared at my turtle for practically 5 minutes. He was so intent on figuring out what she was that a few times, he almost fell out of my lap. My turtle was asleep so she didn't move at all. A few moments later, I got up so he was on the floor. Lil F started moving in her tank and Max kept getting on his hindlegs and scratching the tank stand to catch a glimpse of my 3-pound green mass.

We'll see what adventures he gets into tomorrow...!

Happy birthday, Kristin!

“The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.”

When I was (much) younger, this quote was forwarded to me. For whatever sentimental reason, I have kept it ever since and think of it often when I meet someone who is that “best kind of friend.”

I know I am blessed to have Kristin as this “best kind of friend.” Sometimes I think I am a broken record when I say this, but it just goes to show that I really mean it. She has always been and continues to be an inspiration to me. Today, I thought about how much has transpired since her last birthday, and I am again amazed by her strength, tenacity, wisdom, maturity, and genuine joie de vivre.

The best way that I can sum up how I feel about her is simply that I love her.

Happy birthday, BSILF. I wish you all the best.

Home Sweet Home from Europe

Throughout our entire trip, I have been paranoid about waking up late so every night before I went to bed, I checked my iPhone alarm obsessive-compulsively, counting and recounting the time difference to make sure that my alarm at 8:30 PM really meant I was waking up at 5:30 AM. (I am so glad I brought my iPhone because there were no alarm clocks in any of the hotels that we stayed at.)

Of course on the last day, I totally slacked off. Hubby woke up around 4 AM and couldn’t sleep but I dozed back asleep. Next thing I know, Hubby says, “Hunny, it’s 5:50! Weren’t you supposed to wake up at 5:30?” Good thing he woke up to wake me up otherwise we would have missed our shuttle and flight home!

We rushed to get ready and were downstairs by 6:30, waiting for our shuttle. I was really relieved because not only did we get to the lobby in time, I even had time to run into the breakfast room to grab a big slice of the delicious marble pound cake.

Our shuttle ride was about 20 minutes to the Rome Fiumicino Airport. Since we were about an hour and a half early, we walked around and checked out the duty-free shops. Since we all boarded a little late, our flight took off a little later than scheduled. We didn’t sweat it since we had a 2.5 hour layover in New York. However, we were anxious to get our 9 hour flight going.

The flight from Rome to New York wasn’t as bad as Los Angeles to London, but it was still bad enough for me to have to get up a few times to stretch out before my legs cramped up. We had our last taste of Italy for our meals – pasta and pizza.

We landed at JFK and immediately went through customs. When we got to the area, we saw a long line and both groaned. That's when we saw that the long line was for the first-class and business-class passengers...and the line for us regular passengers was super short! Customs was a breeze; it took between 5 - 10 minutes (waiting and being cleared). The bummer was that when we landed in JFK, we immediately found out that our flight home was delayed an hour and a half, so we now had about 3.5 hours to kill. Not enough time for us to head out and explore but too much time to sit around in an airport. We killed off almost an hour just making phone calls but after that we sat for a little bit. That's when we had this conversation:

Hubby: What snacks do you have?
Me: Toblerone, cookies, and this orange.
Hubby: Um...Where did you get that orange?
Me: At breakfast this morning...
Hubby: What? At the hotel?

(As in, the hotel in Rome?)

Me: Yup...[gasp] Oh no! I smuggled fruit in from a foreign country??
Hubby: Yes, you douche!
Me: What should I do? Can I eat it right now?
Hubby: No! Go throw it away right now!

So I sadly did.

We were supposed to board at 4:20 PM to depart at 5 PM. We literally stood by the gate for more than an hour before they finally let us get on at 5:40 PM! By then, the majority of us passengers were in a real funk. Poor Hubby had to sit in the middle seat for both flights (he always gives me the aisle or window seat, even before he knew that I sometimes get claustrophobic). Instead of getting home at 7:15, we got home close to 10 PM.

We were especially excited to be greeted not just by my brother, but FBIL and Max, too! As a welcome home meal, we stopped by In-N-Out.

All in all, we had a wonderful trip but we were definitely glad to be home sweet home…with our turtle! 

Europe: Rome (Non-Tour Day)

Since our tour is officially over today, I told Hubby several times yesterday that 1) I was going to sleep in (for the first time on our trip) and 2) I was going to have a hearty continental buffet breakfast. I woke up earlier than Hubby so I quickly got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast to ensure I had enough time to enjoy my breakfast.

I didn’t want to wake Hubby but was secretly hoping he would join me for breakfast. He ended finding me in the middle of breakfast and said, "Gees, I went looking all over for you and then I remembered that you would probably still be eating. Next time, you have to leave me a note or something!" The thing is, he doesn't read my notes anyways and really, where else would I be when there is free yummy continental breakfast buffet?

(The marble cake on the top right of my plate got my favorite vote.)

Afterward, we went back upstairs to start packing and organizing our luggage before heading out to explore. All the stores that we were interested in visiting were still closed for Ferragosto. Since Hubby had been eyeing the McDonald's on the corner, we stopped in there. It was so crowded because it was lunchtime, so we walked next door to the gelateria that the funny Canadian couple had recommended (3 scoops for 2.5 Euros!). Right when we got there, the people were saying that it was closed and would re-open at 7 PM. Richard had told us that in Europe, places close down in the middle of the day because they can for no apparent rhyme or reason (to the public).

We went across the street to the patisserie that I had been eyeing, where I got a delicious cookie “sandwich” that had nutella or some chocolatey-goodness in the middle and dipped on the bottom of the top cookie.

(Top right corner, second cookie from the right on the top shelf.)

We went back to McDonald’s for lunch around noon or so. Christian ordered from the take-out window and got a Big Mac, criss-cut fries, and a Coca-Cola with the special Collector's Edition glass.

"Give me the #1 please...No curly fries right now? Okay, criss-cut fries."

I also got an ice-cream cone. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself while I alternated between eating my delicious cookie in my left hand and licking my refreshing ice-cream in my right hand, as we walked across busy intersections back to the hotel. I felt like a 5 year-old. A very happy 5 year-old.


When we got back to the hotel, we ate outside on their benches and walked to the end of the parking lot where there was a trail but decided that it was too warm/hot so we went inside, and I e-mailed our family some updates. After that, we went upstairs and took a nap.

For dinner, we ate at il Chiostro in the hotel, since we had 10% off the bill and two welcome drinks. We both ordered two pints of Kronen beer. Hubby ordered Pizza Margherita (tomato and mozzarella cheese pizza), I ordered, Ravioli ai Quattro Formaggi (ravioli with cheese sauce), and we shared Caprese Salad (tomatoes with mozzarella cheese and basil). Hubby's pizza had the most tomato sauce out of all the pizzas we have eaten. Afterward, we went back to the gelateria to get 3 scoops in a waffle cone each. The mint chocolate chip was delicious! Hubby's favorite was something called Skoky. We had no idea what it was when we ordered it, but it turned out to be something like vanilla, peanut butter, and fudge.


By then, I was full beyond comfort. We ended up going back to the hotel, e-mailing some more, and then turning in early since we were being picked up between 6:30 – 6:45 AM. All in all, we had a relaxing, peaceful last full day in Rome.

As they say, leave on a high note, right?

Europe: Rome (Ostia Antica, St. Peter's Basilica, & the Colosseum)

We started off the morning with a huge breakfast spread in the Ballroom of Palazzo Carpegna. Before we left for our morning tour, we asked to upgrade to the Superior Room for an additional 30 Euros per night. We figured, why not splurge for our last leg? (Not that we haven’t spent enough additional cash). The benefits are: a bigger room, extensive vanity kit stuff (lotion! No European hotel that we have been to offered lotion; some didn’t even give hair conditioner. In addition: shaver, toothbrush, nail file, Kenju spa collection shampoo and conditioner), free wifi, two welcome drink vouchers, and 10% off eating at the hotel restaurant.

We met up around 8 AM with our local tour guide, Amelia, to go to Ostia Antica, an optional tour that wasn’t on our original optional schedule. Richard put this tour together mainly because today is Ferragosto, an Italian holiday where everything is closed and Italians get some serious R&R. We really didn’t have much of a choice, unless we wanted to sleep in. We chose to go on it because Hubby is so fascinated by history and ancient ruins.

It’s ridiculous how quickly it heated up. We got to Ostia Antica around 8:30 AM and began our tour. We walked on cobblestones laid centuries ago. I was impressed that our tour guide, a lady probably in her 60s, led us through the 100 degree weather in 2.5 inch wedge sandals. Although the heat was brutal, it was neat to see the ancient ruins and just how advanced the Romans were centuries ago. We saw where saunas and bath houses were first created. We saw where business stores used to be and how they were distinguished. How you recognize what the store's specialty was by looking at the mosaics on the floor (that are still apparent today).

One mosaic we saw was of a whale...which meant that the business owner was in charge of the imports that came through the docks. It was both awe-inspiring yet surreal to imagine what took place right in front of us – bath houses, stores, condos, saunas, and even restrooms. We also walked onto the theatre stage for a brief minute before we had to walk “off stage” and go around (there was a concert that was being set up there so we had to move).

(Left top clockwise: ruins, mosaic "map," Hubby climbing the "seats" of the theatre, ancient restrooms, ancient sauna, the theatre stage.)

Our tour ended around 10 AM at the coffee shop, where there were also two doggies, but we weren’t allowed to touch them. Of course some of our tour mates didn't see the sign and tried to pet them anyways. Hubby, ever the rule-abider, made sure I wasn't even within a three yards of them, lest my self-control be recklessly uninhibited. (Hence my distant shot of one of them.)


After that, we went back to the hotel to pick up the rest of the group to continue on our regularly scheduled tour. We went to St. Peter’s Basilica, but before we went in, we had 45 minutes to shop and eat. Hubby went right to business shopping for rosaries in Savelli Mosaic Art Gallery. The really cool thing is that they were all “generally blessed,” but since we left them there to be delivered to our hotel, they were personally blessed by the Pope. While he was shopping, I went up to the second level to buy postage. The four postage stamps were of the Vatican (City). Although the Vatican City is its own city-state/nation, not all the other countries recognize it as its own country, so I had to be sure I mail it within Rome or else it would be null.

After lunch, we stood in the sweltering sun for about 20 minutes to get into St. Peters Basilica. I thought I was going to pass out since I was wearing jeans to cover my knees. We were told that people usually wait like 2 hours or more to get in so 20 minutes was really nothing. But for me, it was painful. I should have bought a fan and parasol days ago!


When we got inside, Mass was taking place. Service is sectioned off so that we could continue our tour without interrupting Mass.

(Left column: the Holy Doors; Michelangelo's Pieta
Middle: the Altar with Bernini's baldacchino
Right column: St. Peter by Cambio; tomb of Pope Alexander VII by Bernini)

We also saw Pope John Paul XXIII's preserved body. He has a white wax mask to cover his face.


While we toured, Hubby's Spidey-skills were on high-alert. He noticed that a guy seemed to be following our group. Of course I dismissed it and thought that Hubby was just being paranoid, but he later rationalized that 1) we were forewarned that pick-pocketers would dress like tourists to blend in and 2) the guy followed us from one corner to another and another and had a huge camera hanging around his neck...but took zero photos. Our group had been well-prepared for pick-pocketers so throughout our entire trip, no one lost anything. I was still pretty paranoid though.

After that, we went to the Colosseum...while the sun was still scorching. Poor Hubby was really looking to seeing the Colosseum but was disappointed. He said it was because he watched too many History Channel specials on it so when we got there, it was a bit anticlimactic for him. We ascended to the second level via lift and later climbed down the stairs. Again, it was hard for me to take in that we were standing in the Colosseum, where violent acts (for the purpose of entertainment) took place centuries ago. It’s surreal.

(See me wearing my Armani "underwear"?)

On our way there and when we left, we also passed by Circus Maximus, where the chariot races used to be held. All in all, our tours were really fascinating...just unbearably hot. All the history behind these ancient ruins was amazing. We got back to our hotel in the late afternoon to wash up and rest...in our upgraded room. Yayayay!

We also wrote thank you letters to both Gennaro and Richard and prepared tips since it was our last evening with the tour group. Our farewell dinner was at Casa Nova. We sat with our new friends.

We sat with Millie and Ray from North Carolina who have been married for 51.5 years. They were champions through the whole tour. They went on almost every optional tour and dusted younger people! They said that two months before this trip, they walked on the treadmill everyday to prepare. We were so impressed, especially as they climbed up and down stairs with us. We also sat with Burt and Nancy from Arizona, a very sweet, nice, and lively couple. They have only been married for 7 years...but were dating for 16 years before then! Burt used to come out to Marina del Rey all the time, which is just a mile or two away from where we live. Small world! They were probably the only ones that didn't think the heat was a struggle. ;)

During dinner, there was an opera duet accompanied by a pianist...and seriously, the male opera singer looked like Pau Gasol. The singing was beautiful and really set the ambiance. Dinner consisted of antipasta, veal with what Hubby said is Dijon mustard, coconut milk, and meat gravy, and we ended with a delicious three-berry tart. I also ordered a Fanta for the first time, which turned out to be quite tasty.


Around 7:30 PM, we departed for our last excursion, which was to the Spanish steps. Amelia, our local guide for Ostia Antica, guided us again. We walked about 1.5 hours total (stop and go) so we were beat from all the walking we did today. When we arrived at the top of the Spanish steps, it was magnificent looking down and seeing how crowded it was. Amelia said that this is where all famous models pose for pictures.

(Many of us, including me, were so fascinated by the Louis Vuitton store on via Condotti; the LCD image of the hot air balloon is on a staircase. If you search Youtube "Louis Vuitton stairs Spanish steps," there are several videos, like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-2QY-85Xqc.)

When we were going down the famous Spanish steps, a man passed gas really loud right in front of us, and Hubby was sort of behind me and behind him. (I say he passed gas in front of Hubby but Hubby says vice-versa. Actually, Hubby embellishes and says that the man passed gas on me.) Hubby immediately said, “Oof! Move right, move right!” I was practically holding by breath for at least half a minute, making sure I didn’t laugh out loud. I know I can be so immature sometimes...and ever since I rendered Nacho Libre as a favorite movie, Hubby swears that I am always laughing at fart-jokes. I hope that's not true...only 10 year old boys laugh about that! After a few minutes, Hubby quietly said, “I’m so proud of you. You didn’t laugh at the joke.” That’s when I started laughing hysterically and had to wipe tears away.

We walked around that area, which is equivalent to Rodeo Drive – expensive stores: Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, etc. The “flower pimps” were all over the place! They are so sneaky. They go right up to women and hold out a beautiful rose and say, "take it, go ahead, take it," sometimes saying that it won't cost the women anything. Well, once the woman takes it, they hustle their man for money!

Our tour ended at Bar Tre Scalini, where Richard handed each of us a decadent tartufo. It was so rich and dreamy. Definitely can't find anything even close to this in the States.


When we got back to the hotel around 10 PM, we said good-bye to Richard, Gennaro, and our tour mates. All in all, we had a wonderful time with the group.

I don't think Hubby expected me to do a fake candid shot to correspond with his:


Finally, a real one!

Europe: Florence to Rome

We started off with the same wake-up/luggage/breakfast schedule again. The most spectacular thing about breakfast was that they had Nutella! It was my first time tasting it, and it was delicious. Why I haven’t had this before is beyond me. Then again, isn’t it like chocolate Yanyan? I put it on my croissant that had a tinge of orange marmalade flavoring.

At 7:30 AM, we went to Michelangelo Square to take a big group photo with the beautiful city of Florence as our backdrop. There was also a bronze copy of Michelangelo’s David so we got a few shots of that.

(Bottom right corner is us with our tour guide, Richard.)

From 9 – 11 AM, we were back where we were yesterday but we had a little free time for shopping. We started off at the Gold Factory, where the lady described how gold came into use in Florentine jewelry. She also showed us interesting pieces of jewelry such as a bracelet that an engineer designed for his mother. It can be worn two ways. One way was as straight strands. Once you let it go, it bunches up into clusters. Although the engineer designed it specifically for his mother, someone liked it so much that it was brought to some place and won four awards and produced for the general public. (Obviously, I can’t recall all the details/names/organizations.) Another designer created a necklace that is gold on one side and white gold on the other. We also saw gold “belts” to be worn as a lariat, necklace, or even a belt…and cost a fortune. All were so beautiful but none within our taste nor budget.

After the gold store, we went to Peruzzi, a leather factory. We saw a quick demonstration on how gold is embossed on a trash can. The craftsman took a ribbon of gold and used a tool with the leaf design that Florence is famous for, heated the tool up, and used the weight of his body to press down on the tool to transfer the gold. We looked around and I ended up getting an Armani “underwear” shirt to wear for the Vatican/Sistine Chapel tomorrow, since I ran out of t-shirts (I didn’t plan well because I didn’t know until it was too late). It came out to about $70. It has got to be the most expensive “underwear” I have ever owned. I kept telling Hubby that I was perfectly fine wearing an “I [heart] Italia” t-shirt, but he wasn’t hearing any of it.

Before we hopped on the bus, I got two scoops of gelato: one chocolate chip and one caramel. Both were delicious!

At 11 AM, we took off from Florence for Rome. We stopped at Autogrill again for lunch. We got to the Vatican Museum by 3 PM and met up with our local guide, Donatella. We walked for about two hours, looking at all kinds of sculptures/statues, frescoes, and mosaics. It was soOooOoO hot and unbearable due to the weather (hot and humid) and body heat.


After about an hour, we walked into the Sistine Chapel. It was absolutely breathtaking, surreal, and overwhelming. There is something so magical and holy about that place. I was practically moved to tears. Even though it was packed with hundreds of people (and guards shushing people every few seconds since we were not allowed to talk in there), it still felt like such a personal experience between me and God and His message through Michelangelo as His ambassador.

We were told of the history behind the Pope commissioning famous artists of the time to paint frescoes in the Sistine Chapel: Ghirlandaio, Botticelli, Perugino, and Roselli. In 1508, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling. For four years, he painted frescoes every single day that began with Genesis' Adam and Eve and their Fall all the way to the famous Last Judgment. We were not allowed to take any pictures because all of the work in the Chapel is copyrighted. Of course people still did, but security was quick to run over to the person and rush him/her out. (Donatella said that it depends on the guards’ moods; sometimes, they are more relaxed and allow pictures without flash.)

Around 5 PM, we got picked up to go check in at Grand Hotel Palazzo Carpegna. We are in a standard double which was kind of small but nice. It is the nicest hotel we have stayed in.

Our optional dinner and tour began at 7:30 PM at Mangrovia. It was a 5-course meal! Our first dish was Caprese Salad with eggplant (fresh mozzarella on sliced tomatoes with a dab of olive oil, basil, and eggplant on the side). Our next dish was ravioli with ricotta and spinach. After that, we had fettucini alfredo. For our main entrée, we were given a choice between veal, sea bass, and chicken parmigiana. I originally ordered the sea bass and Hubby requested the chicken parmigiana, but we ended up switching because the sea bass was too fishy (and bland) for me. We were also served a side salad with our entrée. In the end, the chicken parmigiana was too salty for me, too. :( Our dessert was strawberry gelato on fresh fruit (orange, plum, kiwi). Yummy!

The drinks came literally nonstop and even before we were half finished with our current one! Hubby got started with 2 beers and then the waiter kept bringing the beers in twos. I just had Sprite. I also tried the red and white wine and spumanti. When dessert came, the little 9-year-old next to me got 5 scoops of gelato! I was so jealous!

During dinner, there were two musicians who entertained us (one guitarist and one flutist). Our head waiter was extremely entertaining, too. When he was serving the fettucini, he didn’t serve one person at each table (one older lady and then one father). He specially presented the dishes to a lady at each table– a red rose and “bocha”(?) (he kissed the ladies on the cheek and neck a few times). For the very last guest, it was a father from Hawaii. Ha! He made a big dramatic act by placing a blond, dreadlock wig on the father and pretending to kiss him.

At the end of dinner, all ladies received a rose and a kiss from the waiter. When it was my turn, I was so embarrassed. It was funny because the waiter looked at Hubby beforehand and said, “Don’t kill! Don’t kill, just one kiss.” Haha! When it was the little girl's turn, he didn’t kiss her, but he handed her a rose…and then another and another until she had half a dozen! That was cute.

Afterward, we took a nightly tour/walk to the Trevi Fountain. This was another highlight of mine. It was a little bit hectic because there were hundreds of people, all trying to get to the fountain to sit on the edge of the fountain to make a wish. Richard told us that in all its history, it has always been naturally powered. I’m not sure if we were supposed to throw one or three coins over our left shoulder, but Hubby and I both made a wish and threw a coin. Later on, xtn asked me what I wished for (just like when we were under the Sully bridge), but I didn’t tell him.

We also watched Richard stand, make a wish, and toss a coin over his left shoulder. He shared with us two that he has been doing this ever since 1950 something, when he was a little boy and went there for his first time. I think he was a bit embarrassed because he said, "It's a bit ridiculous that I have been doing this ever since I was a little boy, but I still do it every time I come to this fountain." I didn't think it was ridiculous at all. I did appreciate that he shared this personal statement with us.

Self-taken candid camera shot...

Since Hubby didn't want to look at the camera and smile, I went along with him, too.