Well it’s February 2, 2024… Ground Hog Day, but 5 years since the last time I wrote anything here. 5 years… that is a long time! Life is so different now. The world is so different now. It will truly be impossible to summarize it all. Let me start by saying, the reason I am doing this today is because last night while hanging out with my still 9-year-old (for a day) daughters Alyssa & Paula, I ended up reading some of these entries in here to them and they were so taken aback and told me I should turn this into a book. They never got to hear their birth story in so many details as well as my first ever post here which was right before I was turning 30 and discussing not being ready for kids just yet. Little did I know that I would get pregnant less than a year after writing that. The reason I also did not do my annual Ground Hog Day post in 2020 and the day before their 6th birthday was because we took the kids to San Diego to spend their actual birthday in Legoland. I also already was aware of the craziness that was beginning which would turn our worlds upside down… you know, the early stages of pandemic.
I was terrified to go an amusement park with them having already heard about Covid, however at that point they were still saying there were only 2 cases in America so far (yeah right) and in my head I decided to just battle my fear and go while we still could, I had a feeling we were not going to travel for quite some time after that. That trip was awesome, it was a month before the world shut down, but I’m a germaphobe and we already had masks with us before anyone else did. That is still the last time we did something major for their birthday like that. The drive back from San Diego sparked a discussion into relocating to a different part of the Bay Area, one where it’s warmer, more family-friendly, and of course better schools. And I am so glad we had that epiphany because it led us to move to the East Bay in the Bay Area, which happened to be very shortly after the lockdown began in March of 2020. This was our silver linings of the pandemic; we were able to find something thanks to my awesome Realtor friend Maria Nichols and snatch it up when everything was uncertain, and no one was making any big moves. The move really didn’t make the lockdown or pandemic seem all too bad because we got to be outdoors a lot, got away from the foggy area we used to live in before, explore all these new trails, etc. Another silver lining for me and for a lot of you guys out there too was the peace and quiet, the serenity of not having to go anywhere, working remotely, doing everything from home, and last but not least spending all of this quality time with family that we normally would never get to do.
I could go on for days about all the details of the pandemic years, but I think there’s enough documentation out there about this crazy thing that we all had to witness in our lifetimes. So, I will just discuss my own experience. What happens when a person is already a germaphobe and then there’s a new deadly virus out there? I completely locked us up, huge believe in masks, they have proved to be a reliable source of protecting yourself for years now, regardless of them being comfortable or not. I really don’t want to make this into a medical journal entry. All I will say is that I lost all FOMO, staying safe and keeping my family safe was so much more important to me than meeting up with people for an hour or two or going out anywhere. I got super comfortable using Instacart for groceries, still do weekly, always been an Amazon and online shopper, anything that could be done curbside, I still do, etc. You get the point. I was and still am one of the most cautious people out of anyone you know. Even though the “pandemic” is technically over, my immediate family is still cautious. We have a number of reasons, some old and some new.
Girls remained in virtual school, which was awesome for them and us btw, for a lot longer than others. This school year, 4th grade is their first year back in person since kindergarten. Everyone is different and for us, remote learning just really worked for convenience, academics and so much more. I could tell they’re not getting as much academically now in person as they did online, but at least they get to have more fun and be kids. The pandemic began a few months before they finished kindergarten, that is so crazy! This is something we will always be shocked that it all happened in real life and not in some sci-fi movie. We made huge progress with comfort level of what we do or don’t do these days, and compared to a year or two ago, it’s night and day, but we still have much room left for improvement. And now I’ll stop rambling about this particular topic that provokes all of my anxiety and panic all over again.
In July of 2020, my best friend aka sisterfriend Jessica also moved, but unlike me who only moved an hour away from where I used to live, she moved all the way to Texas. She needed to live in a place where she could afford a nice house, and both could keep their jobs. She definitely loves her house and the life she created there; however, I hate that she’s so far away. I am thankful that her job still brings her out to the bay area a few times a year and we always make sure to see each other every time, and she makes a huge effort to have one trip per year where she comes just to visit me, and we get to spend amazing quality time together. It’s not what I ever pictured for our friendship when we have always lived close and were able to see each other almost instantly if needed, but living so far away, she’s still the friend I see the most. My other friends’ kids are all so grown now, some of us have teenagers, it’s bananas. It’s been cool to witness my work bestie Colleen get engaged, married, pregnant and now she has a little 2 year old daughter! Helen got remarried to a guy named Jereme and we blinked, and they’ve already been together for 5 years, she deserves all the happiness. During this time, my cousin Svetlana who was always terrified at the thought of becoming a parent, now has two kids! My cousin in NYC had a new baby as well in 2023! Sara had a pandemic baby Max, when her husband Dima was unable to go to appts with her and everything was super scary in the hospitals. I say this every time, but life is weird and unpredictable and sometimes things just fall into place very quickly and unexpectedly. So of course, in the last 5 years, new babies were made, existing kids got 5 years older, friends have married, remarried, moved, etc. That in a nutshell is called… life.
Something that I never saw coming was Russia starting a war with Ukraine. I’m from Ukraine, but I speak Russian. When I moved here in 1994, people did not even know where Ukraine was because it’s so small, so I would just say I’m from Russia. Always thought the two countries were interchangeable, but now I’m 100% always going to say I am from Ukraine. Of course, I stand with Ukraine and pray for peace and resolution there as soon as humanly possible. I finished 6th grade there and still have friends who live in the country and try to check in with them when possible. Current events are crazy. My heart goes out to Ukraine and Israel, may these two countries remain strong and live in peace. Peace is most important.
In other current events… of pop culture, *NSYNC reunited to create a new song “Better Place” for the new Trolls – Band Together movie in 2023. This was the highlight of my year tbh. I’m a day 1 OG fan, went to several of their concerts, stood in lines outside of tower records to buy tickets, had all their CDs. Trolls was the first movie we went to see in a movie theater opening weekend since 2019 because it was that important to me. Alyssa, Paula, and I were decked out in our new *NSYNC gear, and it was so fun. I am so excited that I got them into *NSYNC and Justin Timberlake, they’ve always heard the music and knew some songs, but now they really enjoy it, and truly know the good songs. We are anxiously waiting for the *NSYNC reunion tour, at least the possibility of it, for now we will take the new Justin tour. 😊 This was off topic, but felt pretty relevant since this is something I bonded with my babies about and I am so happy about that.
My dog Corky (stayed with parents once I moved out) is no longer around, we had to let him go last year on February 7th, at 14.5 years of age. He lost his sight and hearing, was losing mobility, etc. It was really hard, and it caused me a lot of grief. The grief turned into realization that we no longer have a dog in the family and to me, that was weird. Somehow while grieving, I convinced my husband who’s not a dog person, that there are dogs that don’t shed, like any doodle, that are smart and trainable and will be cute to have. He got on board. I found a litter of Maltipoos that were 6 weeks old an hour away. What do you think happens when you take two 9 years olds to look at the cutest tiny puppies? Everyone was in love. We locked in on one pup we were going to name him Furby. Long story short (do I ever keep anything short tho?), he ended up crying all the time I noticed via Facetime and his tummy looked weird because he had a hernia, so that all scared me. But we did end up getting his sister and her name is Peachy. She was born on 1.16.2023. She just turned a year old and she’s such a light in this house! I changed my mind about getting her due to all the responsibilities that come with dog ownership, but everyone was set on getting her. So, she’s here and everything fell into place. I love her beyond words and am very grateful she chose us to be her family.
There are things going on that I won’t write about right now on a public forum with different family members and it’s affecting all of us greatly. I think I covered the most important things that have happened over the last 5 years. Last year on their birthday, the girls got their ears pierced. This year, on their 10th birthday, I’m gifting them custom earrings and I hope they will love them. They’re such little ladies now, but also still so innocent and sweet. Yes, they definitely have their moments and are very particular with things, but overall, I have to say that they are good girls, they try to be good students, they are responsible, they appear to be honest. I hope and pray they stay this way even though I can tell they’ll be challenging teenagers. I just hope I can continue to build this bond with them and be someone they confide in and want to spend time with. This is something I want to work on internally to not be so reactive to them and be more patient. They truly deserve it and clearly, we all see how quickly the years fly by. They will literally be teenagers in 3 years, only 3 years. How’s that possible? I’ve been a mom for 10 years now… what? Mind blowing! Next year will be their last year in Elementary School. That too is shocking. Oh, and how about the fact that I am now 40…1! 41, 41.5. What??? I was in my 20s when I wrote here for the first time, let’s not forget that.
Well… let’s hope next time I’ll write in here will not be 5 years. Seeing how interested Alyssa and Paula were in this blog (not a vlog lol), inspires me to write more than once every 5 years. I am overfilled with so many emotions as my little babies are going to be in the double digits tomorrow. I wish them all the best in the world and more.
Here are the photos and themes from their 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th birthdays:
Here’s the poem I generated for them using AI… I gave 3 paragraphs of details and did a ton of iterations to get this right, but I kinda love it:
In a world where laughter fills the air,
Alyssa and Paula, a duo beyond compare.
Ten years of joy, love, and cheer,
A milestone reached, a moment so dear.
Identical wonders, an inseparable pair,
United in laughter, their bond rare.
February third, a day to hold near,
Double digits, as time steers.
Beautiful souls, with hearts so true,
Great students, daughters, in all they do.
Proud parents and grandparents stand,
In awe of the blessings named Alyssa and Paula.
In their world, Peachy, a furry delight,
Sisters and dog, a bond shining bright.
Gifts of love, wrapped in a smile,
They journey together, mile by mile.
Health and happiness, our wish so true,
For these amazing sisters, a love so rich.
Besties with mommy, a bond so sweet,
In their laughter, our hearts beat.
YouTube creators, talents unfold,
Stories and laughter, a treasure untold.
Alyssa and owls, a whimsical dream,
Paula with bunnies and turtles, it seems.
Miracles they are, in every way,
Guiding our hearts, brightening our day.
To double digits, a grand welcome cheer,
Happy tenth birthday, hold it dear!
May the universe unfold its best,
For Alyssa and Paula, on this quest.
A decade of love, laughter, and play,
Here's to many more, on this special day.
Til next time. Much love to all!