Becoming a Pau Pau

Chinese American "Cantonese" brand, all know what Pau Pau is all about.  The scents and aromas, memories, the food, sounds, the dialect, the words that gently wraps you up in a warm blanket, when you think and hear someone speak about a Pau Pau.  Usually a little stout, a little chubby, and always smiling and loving on you.  At least that's how my Mom was for my children - a real live Pau Pau.

Unfortunately, I never knew my grandmother (Pau Pau is the title given to the maternal grandmother) on either side of the family.  My Pau Pau passed away the year I was born when I was about 5 months old with me born in San Francisco Chinatown and my Pau Pau in a Canton China village.  She died probably in her late 60's or early 70's, when my Goong Goong (maternal grandfather) insisted that she commit suicide with him.  He burned their 2 story home down around them in protest and desperation as the Communist were extorting money from him, and threats of imprisonment and work camps.  That's another story.

So even though I never had grandparents growing up, I've heard what my children thought and felt about my mother.  Even as adults, it's kind of amusing and insightful to hear what they remember about her.  Mom passed away about 10 years ago when my children were in their 20's.  Our son was cared for by my mother from the time he was 6 weeks old till about  1 1/2 years old.  It was a lot of sacrifice on her part, but our first baby thrived, grew and was loved like crazy as a result.

Now it was my turn to be a Pau Pau... our daughter was going to have a baby (a boy, they found out earlier) and I felt I was ready.  Sure, I can do this!  We also found out that 5 weeks later, our son and his wife will be having a baby boy too!  Did they plan this?  Probably not, but wow...I get to be a Pau Pau X2 all in slightly over a month!

I bought a pair of new Pau Pau shoes after we went to the doctor's appointment to find out the sex of the baby, and immediately went to Baby Gap and got him a new outfit to wear soon.  The name was decided H____, a little boy's name that didn't remind me of an awful student in my past.  So with new Pau Pau Toms shoes, I was ready.

What I wasn't prepared for was the immediate explosive expansive voluminous capacity to love this little one when he came.  It was like heaven opened up it's filling station and filled my tank to overflowing for this new baby, a new type of love and admiration for my daughter and my son in law...it was crazy and wild.  I wanted the world to know how beautiful this little guy is, how much love, hopes and dreams I have for him, how much love, pride and happiness he's bringing to his mom and dad and to me, his Pau Pau (and hubs too, I'm sure).

It was quiet invisible (to others, but not to me) fireworks for me to be a Pau Pau as little H entered the world!

KAPOWWW

Fast forward 5 weeks, and little S____ bounced into the scene.  A different delivery, a different experience for his mom and dad, but same joy, pride, deep happiness, and unending love.  As for me, the heaven filling station opened their love station for me again and filled my heart again with love overflowing for this little baby boy too!  So precious, so cute, so little and I wanted the world to know how special he is, how much he's loved and how many dreams we have for him as well.  More quiet invest fireworks that rivals Disneyland's.

KAPOWWWW WEEEEEEEE

Fast forward 2 years.  H is now 2 and S will be 2 in a few days.  My love has grown for them individually and my admiration, love and pride is huge as I look at these young parents and how much they've grown in this huge huge job as mommy and daddy.  They are doing such a great job, as hard as it is, and with no sleep.

These invisible firework shows keep going  in my heart!

Grand California 2015 - Welcome Home

Our son and dil sensing that I was having serious withdrawal symptoms from not going to Disneyland in recent years (since 2013), booked us a room at Grand California in Disneyland.  Yeah, I know... my dream come true.  Since it's been around, we've availed ourselves to its grandeur and wonderfulness only walking through it and sitting in their plush leather chairs in the grand lobby.  The architecture, the design elements, Tiffany lamps, tables, rugs, trims, all so wonderful.  Anyway, it's Christmas too - so there's a huge tree in the middle of the lobby with the over the top ornaments that is signature Disney.

Anyway, we drive down there, tired and it's evening.  Pulling into the driveway, we stop at the little guard station kiosk, and the uniformed young man greets us, "Good Evening, are you checking in?" and we said yes, me trying to not explode with enthusiasm.  The guy asks for our names and then it happened, the stuff that will make me surrender all of my credit cards to the Mouse.  The guy says, "Welcome HOME, Mr. and Mrs. Choy!"   He called this our home!  OOOOOMYGAAAAAAD

They know.  They just know.  Then we walk into the lobby and approach the counter to register.  A middle aged man is helping us, chatting it up, asking how the traffic was coming down, was this our first time stay, do you need anything extra, would you like some coffee or water....filling our time while we waited to check in --- so smart! and then walking us to clerk behind the counter, introducing us, OOOOOOMYGAAAAD

We get checked in and are asked if needed help getting to our room, and we said no.  So off to the elevators and we get up to our floor.  As we step out and turn towards the hall to our room, there's a big official looking desk staffed by yet another uniformed staffer, welcoming us and asking if we needed help finding our room.  No one, not even the 4 Seasons, have people upstairs directing you.  You're on your own in those 5 stars places after they check you in.  I'd about died.

Heavens know if we'll ever stay there again (I kind of vowed that I would never stay anywhere else again while visiting Disneyland, but who knows).  Anyways, yup a little bit of heaven for us last year!

Returning to Hawaii with babies

We're going back to Hawaii and it's been about 10 years or so...since Bruce's dad passed away.  It's going to be with the kids' their spouses and the babies and step grandson.  We're staying at the Aulane which will be like being in Disneyland and Hawaii...how anyone ask for more?  It's a family thing now and I hope we all get along.  With the stress of traveling with toddlers, and the elderly (me & B), it could be quite tedious, I'm sure.

I'm looking forward to this...the babies being with us will add a huge dimension that we've not experienced before.  Yayyyy!

Disneyland....still magical

even without our children and it's been a long time since they were with us...we splurged and spent 3 days there and did all that WE wanted to do:  watch the parades, got wet standing at the railing for World of Color, spent too much on Disneyland food,  rode the horseless carriages along Main Street, waved at Aladdin and the princesses, talked to random strangers, did all the important rides: pirates, small world, buzz, ariel, toy story, star tours, monsters inc., fireworks, all the cars land rides and radiator springs twice; and even less important rides like winnie the pooh, Heimlech's chew chew train, autopia, Mr. Lincoln, the train through grand canyon (3X), animation studio....

we also found where the gale force AC jets are located since we were in So Cal during a record breaking heat wave (for a reasonable fee, we will divulge) - the key is to look like you're interested in that mickey back scratcher or whatever  merchandise is in front of you as you cool off (we got that down to an art form too).

Also saw Despicable Me 2-- sooo sweet and funny and fun!