Viva Las Vegas!

Has it really been almost 3 weeks since I last posted? I know you all are  just DYING to know what is going on in the Fisher household.  Am I right?  Well, my friends, a whole lot of nothing worth posting about, but 'll do it anyway.

I had laser surgery on my eyes and I am happy to report that I neither died nor went blind. Cliche as it sounds, it's so great to be able to see my clock without having to fumble for my glasses.  I don't have 20/20 vision yet, but I'm getting there.  My doc says it can take up to 4 weeks so I'm hoping for that 20/20 vision soon.  My little Michael took very good care of me when I was recovering. He was in charge of getting my eye drops and making sure that the cold compress went back into the freezer after each use. He was very sweet about the whole thing.

We also took a short trip to Las Vegas with my parents last week.  I think the boys had a great time.  We took them to Circus Circus, and they had a blast playing the carnival games and going on the rides.  They both managed to win some stuffed animals. Although, it's not hard when "everyone is a winner." However, I think it's worth mentioning that Matthew beat out everybody, including adults, at the horse racing game where you toss a ball into the holes to make the horses move.  My 4-year old won first place! I was so proud of him. And I just want to add that my boys are awesome travelers.  They were great on the flights to and from Vegas even when our flight was delayed 3 hours.  It makes traveling so much easier.

I feel like I need to have a conclusion to this post, but I've got nothing.  So, that's all, folks!

Beach Boys

We were able to make it down to Avila Beach again last weekend.  This time, with "Missing Piece." We were fortunate to get a break from the recent rains, so we had plenty to sunshine to play in.  In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it was down there.

We stayed at the Avila la Fonda and again, I was very impressed with the hotel.  I feel so at home there and it's in a great location. It's a short walk to the beach and is surrounded by restaurants and cute little shops. 

We spent the whole Saturday at the beach.  Michael and Matthew had a great time playing in the sand and the waves. They met a new friend and played under the pier, looking for sand crabs and sea snails.  They found a starfish hanging on to dear life on the pier pillar.  It was very cool to see a starfish outside of an aquarium in it's natural habitat.

We also found lots of seashells and we even found 2 huge live clams that we brought home for dinner. It was NOT delicious.

A Clearer Vision by Next Week

So I've decided to take the plunge and get vision correction.  I'm a little nervous because they always tell you that there's a chance of, oh, DEATH in any type of surgery.  I'm trying not to think about that too much.  Then, of course, there's the chance that something goes wrong and I lose my eyesight.  Too scary to think about.  As you can see, I have reasons to be nervous. 

I am very afraid of pain and would not normally elect to have surgery, but I'm tired of wearing glasses and my very, very, very bad vision.  I'm considered to be legally blind without corrective lenses.  I use to be able to wear contact lenses, but my eyes have developed blood vessels due to lack of oxygen from the contact lenses, which is not good.  So, I have been stuck with wearing glasses almost all the time. I hate wearing glasses! My kids knock them down. It gets spotty in the rain, and I can't take yoga classes with them.  After much internal debate, I've decided to get PRK and am scheduled to go into surgery this Friday. I would have gone with LASIK, but I don't qualify because my vision it so bad.

Please send those good vibes and prayers my way!

I'm a Proud Mamma

I try not to watch too much of what is going on in Haiti.  It's not because I'm a heartless person. It's just that it makes me so sad to see all the suffering.  I know in my heart that things are tragic there and I do feel terrible for the people of Haiti.  I just don't feel that its necessary to see the news loop over and over again.

I always mean to donate or do something to contribute to the relief effort, but there is always something else that I have to get to first.

As I was folding laundry last week, Michael comes over and tells me that we need to go the http://www.redcross.org/. I ask him why, and he told me that this is the website we have to go to to find out how we can help the people in Haiti. I'm pretty sure he saw one of the commercials, but I was touched by him wanting to help. He looked so concerned and was so insistent that we help.  So we went to the Red Cross website and he discovered that we can donate $10 with texting.  I handed him the cell phone and he did his small part to help others.

I am so proud of my little boy and I thank God that he understands other people's suffering and wants to help. I pray that he will not lose that sense of responsibilty as he becomes a man.

Here and There

I'm happy to report that I'm hitting the gym again after, oh, 3 years give or take. No, it's not my New Year's resolution to lose weight.  I don't make resolutions.  I've just been feeling a little sluggish lately and decided that it was time to do something about it.  Also, my clothes are getting a little snug and since I'm still a temporary SAHM, I can't really afford to spend the dough on a new wardrobe. I'm patting myself on the back for going pretty much every day for 2 weeks now. Being able to take the kids with me and dropping them off at "Kids' Zone" helps.  They love going with me and after I pick them up, they always take the time to ask me how my workout went.

This week, Michael is celebrating the first 100 days of 1st grade.  One of his assignments for this celebration is to collect 100 of something and find a creative way of displayinng them.  Michael's idea was to make sunflowers out of paper and glue 100 sunflower seeds on the seed pods.  I am so proud of him for coming up with that idea.  I think it turned out pretty good. 

This weekend, we are planning a short trip to Pismo and Avila Beaches.  We took Matthew there a few weeks ago and we had a blast.  This time we will be taking both kids with us.  It should be a great weekend getaway even if we are expecting some showers. 

The Missing Piece

A couple of days ago, M had to go down to San Luis Obispo on a business trip and Matthew and I were able to tag along. Michael had to stay behind, unfortunately, because of this little thing called school. We stayed at little hotel called Avila La Fonda in Avila Beach which is 15 minutes north of SLO. I was very skeptical because I've never even heard of this place.

When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised.  It's such a cute little beach town. Clean, quaint, and no big crowds. Our hotel was beautiful with friendly and helpful staff, and 1 short block away from the beach.  Matthew and I had an awesome time walking on the beach and hunting for shells to bring back to Michael. 

The most memorable moment for me, however, was when M and I took Matthew for a walk on the pier.  Matthew chattered on and on about anything and everything. How today was a beeuutiiiful day and that the beach was so nice, and he was having a great time. Then he said, "But we are missing a piece and that piece is Michael." As a mother, this is one of best things that a son can say. I know that Michael and Matthew are as close as 2 brothers can be, but to hear him say something so sweet shows me that I'm doing a good job of teaching him the value of family. And it makes me so proud that my little 4-year old already understands this.

The next time we go back to Avila Beach in a couple of weeks, we will bring the missing piece with us.

Matthew and M at Avila Beach.

Adios, Y2Ks

It's been said that the last decade was a a decade from hell.  Natural disasters, banking crisis, housing meltdown, terrorist attacks and extended war.  You name it, we got this decade.  I would tend to agree with sentiment in general, but personally, this decade has been the best decade of my life.

This was the the decade that my life changed the most and mostly for the better.  I got married in 2001 and changed my last name.  I received the gift of motherhood with the birth of my Michael in 2003 and my Matthew in 2005.  This changed my life too many ways to list on this post. Mostly, I can't go to the bathroom without one of them busting in the door. We became 1st home buyers in 2002 and in 2006, we moved to Dallas and back again to the Bay Area 2009.

Sure, there have been times that were difficult, but I need to remind myself that in the great scheme of things, these difficult times will pass.  Looking back on this decade, I am thankful for the blessings that have come my way.  Looking forward to the next decade, I will hold on to the belief that things happen for a reason and that things will work themselves out with time.