Random Thoughts

Can I add traffic school to my resume?

Radical Chicana

My husband works in downtown Los Angeles for a non profit organization that works for a variety of causes for blue collar workers. One of the movements is called Justice for Janitors. Recently my husband came home from work with a very special gift for baby girl. A children's book called "Si Se Puede" autographed by the author, Diana Cohn. This children's book is a story about a young boy who is very proud of his mother who is a janitor.

My husband tried his best to explain to baby girl how special this book is.
Hubby: Mija, this is a very special book. You have to take very good care of it.

I chime in:
Me: Yes mija, you can't write . . .or color on this book . . . or wrinkle the pages. You have to take very good care of it.

My Hubby continues: . . . If you take really good care of this book,. . . when you get older, you can give this book to your children.

Baby girl looks up with her eyes as big as I have ever seen them and answers back:

. . . . But Papi. . .I don't want kids!


Sorry Papi, this little Radical Chicana is already challenging your assumption that she is supposed to grow up and bare children . . .Si se puede! ♥

Conversations in the Car

So today was the first day of school for baby girl and big sis. After work, I make my rounds to pick up baby girl and big sis from school. On our short ride home, I get all the juicy 8th grade and 2nd grade gossip. . . Apparently, there are already cougars in the 8th grade. . . There is a girl in the 8th grade who likes dating 6th graders! ♥

Why I'm late for work

I'm really sorry I'm late for work. . .I actually got to work on time but I've been sitting in my car in the parking lot, plucking out the grey hairs that I just spotted when I looked in my rear view mirror. ♥

Detention Lady

While chatting with my daughters recently, they both became rather inquisitive about my job. I assumed they knew where I work since I have spent my entire career in the same field, but to my surprise, they had no idea what I do.

Big Sis: Mom, . . . so, where do you work again? Oxnard or Ventura?
Me: . . . I work in Ventura sweetie. . . that's why they call it Ventura College. . .cuz it's in Ventura.
Big Sis: . . . Ohhhhhh!

Baby Girl: But, I don't understand. . . what is it that you do at your job mom?
Big Sis tries to explain: Mom works at a college. . . kinda like your school.

Me: I work at Ventura College . . .I administer financial aid.

Now both look confused and I quickly realize why this seems like such a foreign concept to them:

1. My daughters have never experienced college and
2. My daughters have no concept of finances

Finally, baby girl looks at me as though the light bulb just went off in her head:

Baby Girl: Oh, I get it!. . . So are you like the detention lady?
Me: Yeah!. . . . Something like that. ♥

Brown Bag Lunch

So it's 7:15am and I'm rushing in the morning to pack a lunch for baby girl.
Me: What would you like for lunch sweetie?
Baby Girl: Peanut Butter and Jelly
Me: Mija, Peanut Butter and Jelly sounds like dessert . . .Wouldn't you like a turkey sandwich?
Big Sister: No Mom! She only eats PB&J
Me: Fine, I'll make a PB&J

I quickly assemble baby girl's lunch and in the interest of getting out the door on time, I pack the exact same thing for myself. No time for a separate menu as I have to make my rounds, getting everyone off to school so I can start my treck to the district office to work on our software implementation. I drop baby girl and big sister off at school and soon I'm making my way to the district office.

Before I know it, the morning has passed and the implementation team is dismissed for lunch. My colleagues and I all make our way to the multi-purpose room to eat our lunch and catch up on the latest from each campus. We spot an empty table, settle in, and each begin to bring out our lunch.

As I glance across the table, I notice that one colleague has a yummy salad with all of the vibrant greens from spinich to romaine, with fresh veggies and grilled salmon. Next, I notice another colleague who has a freshly boiled artichoke with the top perfectly sliced off and a small tupperware container with dip for her artichoke. I glance at yet another colleague who has green salad and a fresh variety of rasberries and blackberries.

I gaze down at my brown paper sack and realize it's is an exact clone of baby girl's lunch, complete with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bag of frito corn chips, and a jello cup.

"I'm guessing no possibility of a lunch trade" I think to myself.

On the one hand, I feel like I should be a bit embarrassed by this child like lunch. . . but on the contrary, I can't help but feel all warm inside at the thought that I am eating baby girl's favorite. Without shame, I delightfully enjoy my PB&J, finish up my fritos and scoop out the last spoonful of my red jello cup. "So what's happening on your campus?" I ask my colleague, as I casually sip my capri sun. ♥

Conversations in the car

Sometimes we have conversations in the car, sometime we just sing like a canary:

You know you love me
I know you care
And I would never, not be there
You are my love
You are my heart
And we would never, ever, ever be apart
Are we an item?
Girl quit playin'
We're just friends,
What are you sayin'
Take another look right in my eyes
My first love, broke my heart for the first time

And now I'm like
Baby, baby, baby noo
I'm like
Baby, baby, baby noo
I'm like
Baby, baby, baby noo
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)

Justin Bieber ♥