The Bilbao Family Blog

Just making a quick entry from my new ipad keyboard! Works wonderfully. Also, the girls got an iMAC!!!! Soooo, hopefully more blogging.

It’s always tough to juggle time off from work with end of school year activities (especially for 3 different classrooms).  Then, the block of time off for family vacations.  However, we managed to get a few days to get away to local San Diego California.

In 4 days and 4 nights we managed to squeeze in several activities.  Shanni and Chad took us to Yellow Deli.  A cute and wholesome establishment.  The girls enjoyed watching the dumbwaiter.  The weather was still fairly cool, thankfully there was an indoor swimming pool that the girls swam in every day.  We took in some sites at Balboa Park’s Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and Zoo, the San Diego county fair, Viva Pops (delicious!), vegetarian cuisine at Evolution and Loving Hut.

Before we knew it, we were back in San Diego to spend the 4th of July with the Corrales’, Bangloy’s, Custodia’s, and Vigilia’s. Lots of girls power going on that weekend.  But we are expecting 2 boys out of the bunch in October.

Then the trip to Chicago, IL.  For the last 10 years Auntie Amber and Uncle Amit have lived in Chicago.  We have had the opportunity to visit a few times.  Thankfully they have been able to visit several times a year which has also allowed them to see the girls grow.  Their plan to move back to California is finally within visibility.  So the girls and I were easily coaxed into taking one last trip to the windy city and experience it’s culture.

Traveling

If you recall, last year we took 2 trips out to OK to see Uncle Jhun and Auntie Mendy get married and graduate residency.  So I would say that and the trip to the Philippines allow the girls to be experienced travelers for their ages (not to mention the fact that they’ve spent the night on a cot at DFW).  Check-in and security check went off without a hitch.  And who would have known that 4 young girls toting carry-ons would turn so many heads.  Although a tad cranky, Kalyan was able to stay awake and greet us despite our slight delay.  The cousins were so excited to see each other and play.

Day 1

Kalyan turns 3.  We spent the afternoon with some of Kal’s preschool friends at the park.  Kids splashed in the kiddie pool, swung on the swings, teeter tottered, and hung like monkeys.  The heat and humidity made us feel like we were melting along with the desserts, but a fun and successful party it was.

Day 2

A few short blocks from the Trivedi’s is a farmer’s market.  Tasty and wholesome snow cones were enjoyed.  Then a refreshing stop by at a playground.  The kids all got soaked from the cool shower fountain.  But it made the walk home endurable.

Day 3

Also day 1 of 2 that I had 6 kids all to myself.  Since we wouldn’t fit in one car, Amber had to drop us off.  We drove down to the lake and parked one car.  Amber headed back to work while the kids and I walked along the lake to the Lincoln Park Zoo.  First stop was sketching at a lily pond.  We then ventured through the zoo admiring the animals and looped all the way back to the lake.  There the kids enjoyed splashing in the water and playing with the sand.  After a hard day’s work, Amber and Amit joined us with dinner from Chipotle.

Day 4

Also day 2 of 2 that I had 6 kids all to myself.  Before you give me too much credit for taking all the kiddos on my own, let me tell you that the only thing powering me through the day was the thought that Amber will be off the rest of the week and available to share the burden.

We explored Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium.  This was the beginning of our city pass tour.  One of the coolest parts of the planetarium was “walking through space.”  A dark walk-way surrounded by twinkling lights and mirrors gives the illusion that you are floating through space.  At the aquarium the jelly fish were featured.  But nothing can beat good old Dora and Diego 4D adventure.

Day 5

Finally a day with another adult.  Amber and I drove BT Kids down to Navy Pier.  There we learned about the history of the pier and that there are several planes that are still at the bottom of the lake.  We spent time in the awesome Children’s Museum then ate in the food court.  The most amazing part of the day was traveling up the Willis Tower (formerly known as Prince…I mean Sears Tower) to the Sky Deck.  There is a ledge that lets you stand 103 floors above the ground and look straight down.

day 6

Though already an all time favorite, the 3 older girls are at an age that make the Museum of Science and Industry so much fun.  On the Omnimax we watched Tornado Alley, a documentary of the same theme as the 1996 film Twister.  Jasmine got to help make ice cream using frozen nitrogen.  And we all took a ride through the coal mine.  Despite the loud noises and darkness, the kids did fine.

day 7

After several days on the go, you’d think that these kids would be exhausted.  But after a night of sleep, they seem nearly as energized as the first day.  Today we visited the Field Museum.  Lots of interesting artifacts here.  We started the day by meeting up with Kal and Rohan’s neighbors in the Crown Family Play Lab.  We saw many animals, visited Ancient Egypt and got shrunk to the size of bugs to explore what lives in the dirt.  The Field Museum is also famous for their T. Rex, Sue.

day 8

charlie’s bday pizookies

day 9

swimming and train to downtown

Jasmine is 10 years old now.  She has just begun 5th grade with Ms. Meert.  Here are a few write-ups that she has completed in the 1st weeks of school.

We read that Goole+ has a shot at giving Facebook serious competition.  It said that Google+ is very popular and that one person spends more than 700billion minutes a month.  I think that is very popular.  But Facebook is still popular just not as much.  Clearly Google+ is very popular.

My Heroes

My heroes are my Mom and Dad.  they’re my heroes because they are very helpful.  they are helpful because they take me to school, they love me very much, they buy me things and they help me with problems.  Obviously, my mom and dad are awesome.

Creations of Man

God created man.  then created animals that man could name.  Man was lonely.  So God put man to sleep then took one rib from man then made a woman.  Man was made by dust then God breathed into him then he came alive.  Man and woman were very happy together.  If I had been there I would have felt amazed!

My Story

One of m favorite vacations were when I went to Chicago, Illinois for 11 days.  These are just three days because those are the main events.  On the first day I went to the beach and the Lincoln park zoo.  On the second day I went to the Shedd Aquarium and the planetarium.  the third day I went to Navy Pier, The Children’s Museum, and the Skydeck which is 103 stories on glass pods where you just look down.

Confetti Girl written by Diana Lopez

I read “Confetti Girl.”  I think it’s fantastic!  It’s probably recommended for 10 and up girls. I like it because Lina collects socks of different kinds, plays volleyball, and has lots of books.  Obviously, Confetti Girls is an awesome book!!

One more day to go.

This week was definitely tougher than last week.  For whatever reason I have been feeling sluggish and that alarm clock is definitely not my friend.  But I am happy to say that I did get up.  That in itself is an achievement.  Another positive thing to look at is how I felt this morning.

Although we didn’t run the whole time, we still completed the distance.  I also learned something new this week: RPE, rate of perceived exertion.  Having this information helps me to be less critical of myself and also increases that chances of making this lifestyle change stick

A while back I had added a category called BT Fitness.  Ok, it was more than a while back…try 2 years.  Anyhow, BT Fitness stands for Bilbao-Trivedi Fitness.  It started in March 2007 and was designed to motivate and encourage a healthier lifestyle.

I am thrilled to say how much easier it has been to incorporate healthy activity into our even busier lives.  As the motto to understanding the differences JD and I have goes, it all comes down to value.

Maybe it has to do with being over 30 now.  Remember when we learned in health class that You reach your prime health at 30?  Well, knowing what our habits had been, we’re hoping to change that.

Having 4 girls is another motivator.  We try not to use the word “fat,” but rather “healthy” or “unhealthy.”  Body image is an important factor to girls.  They also repeat everything you say.  When Lilli was 4 was and asked, “Is my butt fat?” we knew it was time to set things straight.

Anyways, I wanted to talk about how my runs went.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  Balance is the key to everything.  In order to have enough energy for the increased activity, I need to make sure that I am eating enough calories and getting enough sleep.  Since I’m  a planner, I also set my work out goals-along with everything else that my busy life requires, you should see my calendar.

This week my work out plan was the following:

Another key to Balance is leaving room for exception.  I couldn’t get a good WiFi signal on my iPad to run on the treadmill on Monday, so I did the elyptical.  Then,  all the room restructure going on in our house while Jasmine is at camp left me a little sleep deprived, so I skipped the Wed workout all together-I have to conserve my energy for work as well (the dental office on Mon, Tue, Wed and the hospital Thu, Fri, Sat).

About the runs.

Tuesday morning was tough.  It’s always difficult for me to gauge my speed so that I can pace myself well.  I feel that I am naturally comfortable with sprinting short distances than pacing myself long distances.  The difficulty could have been due to going faster that I should or the fact that it was 5:30 in the morning.  Maybe both?

Then there’s the dreaded 1st mile.  I couldn’t seem to get through it.  We ran for about 3/4 mile then walked/ran the remaining distance.  We also cut down to 3 miles instead of 4.  But it was still a success!

Today’s run was great.  The 1st mile was tough, and I rewarded myself by walking for a bit, but at a 4MPH pace.  After the 1st mile, we ran/walked couch to 5k style.  During one of the run times I set a goal.  I got into the conversation so much that it took me a couple minutes to realize I had surpassed my goal AND still felt good.  We kept on running.

Unfortunately the zone was disrupted by 3 loose dogs.  Normally I wouldn’t care, but when the Rottweiler looking one was eyeing me with a growl, we decided to take a detour.  This little detour actually added .2 miles to our route.

We still finish in good timing at an average of 4MPH.  Here’s the summary of run via the tracker on JD’s phone.

ran 4.2 mi in 1 hour 2 mins 30 secs and burned 571 calories. Total burned so far: 571 calories!

Hope you are inspired to wake up and run!

Tucked in all the kiddos except for Jasmine. We dropped her off at Pine Springs Ranch for a week long summer camp.

She has been preparing all week long: selecting clothes, buying things like bug spray & a flash light, and of course a new rolling duffle bag. I even managed to find my old shower basket from dorm days for her to carry her toiletries in.

There were welcome signs at the turn off the highway. Counselors were stationed at the entrance gate to give a welcoming wave. Registration was stream lined by several other counselors manning stations for check-in, t-shirts, cabin assignments, etc. Then Jasmine was given a map of the camp. We were to locate the bathrooms & her cabin. Once she got her bearings, she was able to navigate pretty well. So far the girls seem to have gotten their sense of direction from Mommy.

Counselor Heiba greeted us at the cabin. Of the 5 bunks, Jasmine picked the top one next to the door. She also saved a top one for her friend Viviana. The 10 girls are under the constant supervision of Heiba or her assistant. Each counselor is given an assistant so that if the group ever needs to split up (for bathroom breaks & what not) they are still supervised. A brief light medical history is obtained along with an inspection for lice.

Some girls were already there and settled, so introductions were done. The other girls came from Highland, Riverside, Newbury Park and Pennsylvania! The Pennsylvania girls had recently moved to California! Although they all came from different places, they had one commonality, it was their first camp experience.

Finally the time came where we had to leave. Dinner was about to be served and most of the parents had already left. We said our good-byes, hugs and even kisses! I don’t think she’s thought that there will be a time when she feels like she’s too old for kisses yet.

JD and I both sent her envelopes filled with a letters for her to read each night. Just a short note to let her know that we love, miss & are thinking about her. For one of her piano recitals the 3 of us performed “Somewhere Out There.”. I reminded her to think of that song when she missed us. Who do you think is having a more difficult time?

The good-bye was bitter sweet. We so happy to see our little lady growing up. We also sad to see our baby gone. As we were walking to the car, JD & I talked about how one day all the girls will get dropped off at camp and we can go on vacation. Definitely the sweet part about it.

But I can wait. We only have 8 short years before she goes off to take over the world.

On the ride home Kailee nd Lilli kept saying, “I miss her already!”. Then at bedtime Maia said, “Ate’s not home. She’s at camp.” Kailee also said that she doesn’t want to go to camp while Lilli is already planning her first visit with her friend Ariana-Viviana’s sister. Oh, what will we do with these girls.

Well hopefully there wil be lots of stories to tell of Jasmine’s first camp epxperience and how the girls did without their big sister.

Maia seems to says to say the funniest things. Sometimes I feel like I need a recorder to follow her around. Here are the latest.

I was telling a story to some friends about an awkward situation. Maia says, “Awk-waaard!”

Sitting in the front seat of the car, JD & I hear:
K: Maia, can you burp?
M: Ya
K: Maia, can you fart?
M: Ya, I can do both at the same time.

LOL. At least she’s honest.

The ceremony started with an older student presenting his skills to receive Black Belt status.  This portion concluded with Master Puni breaking wood, then the student to follow.  There were 7 or 8 in JKL’s class sitting with awe and the excitement in the room was tangible when 2 planks became 4.

Each child received his or her belt.  Two students were eligible to advance to Orange which requires wood breaking.  Jasmine was one of the students.  She says that she did not know that this was part of the exam.  Nervousness, excitement and fear began to build up.  Daddy had the same feeling too!  But that was all for naught.   Parents were asked to hold the wood for their child which was rewarding for the child to find their parent’s approving glance when they broke down the barrier between them.

The final member of our family just received her passport in the mail!  At the age of two, one has learned many new things.  Cognitive development has reached a significant high point.  This can lead to nervousness or anxiety when about to encounter new things.  Maia demonstrates an expression of those feelings.