Life has been a bit tough the last 2 months with Covid in place. Aiden is having meltdowns and it scares Dustin. It is draining go through it. I still love them to the moon and back. Thou shall pass. We are also having some very challenging times in our marriage. I hope we figure it out as it will be better for our kids and our own happiness. Deep down, I want to make this work and we will both have to compromise and work together. I probably will take Kaiser parenting classes for strong willed children as I need certain tools with Aiden. Took a breather with Scott up at Cassini which was perfectly timed as tension has filled the air this last week. Sometimes big deeps of breaths helps with life !

Aiden at 19 months

Aiden is almost 20 months old and he is already almost 3 feet tall weighing approximately 30 pounds. He is a growing boy and he is very curious and very active and very loving. He is a joy to be around even though we have to watch him all the time or else he gets into things that is not supposed to do. He loves his brother he loves his mother and father. He is growing so fast and time goes by very quickly seeing him sprout so much. He just started to take preschool class or co-op class at little hands and is doing a fantastic job. In fact he likes to get his face dirty and hands dirty whenever you can. Aiden has a infectious smile and he loves being around people and is very strong-willed. Aiden I love you so much that words cannot explain and I look forward to the next several years playing with you and seeing you grow

Dustins 7th bday

As I write this blog, it is November 8, 2015. I couldn't be prouder than I was this weekend with my two beautiful sons and wonderful wife. Dustin turned seven years old I November 6. He was so excited to see his family on his birthday and he was a bundle of joy when everyone walked in. He would ask them where they're from but he knew where they were from whether it was San Mateo, send Carlos, Belmont, sf and other cities. He was beaming he loves his family and he loves when they come to visit it was very cute to see. He had a great time at his seventh birthday and this was the first time I have ever seen them had so much fun with his friends and family at pump it up in Belmont. He also took a theater class in Belmont for the last six weeks. He really excelled at this playgroup and there he might be a movie star in the future. He loves to perform in front of audiences including singing singing let it go from the frozen soundtrack. He belted out tens both Friday and Saturday night to his family and friends and they were extremely in awe. I as a father, was so proud of Dustin and it even brought a tear to my eye as he has come such a long way this last few years. This is what makes being a father so rewarding!

1/6/14

2013 was a pretty good year. Financially, it was a very good one and I have been employed 16 months. Trish is 6 months pregnant and we are having another boy. I hope ours marriage gets better but we are having some difficulties that stem from frustration and a bit of anger. I just need to keep my head down and focus on the big picture. Don't sweat the small stuff. Focus on health and strength is a key goal and not drinking too much and focus on my career and being a great father. Dustin is responding more to me and I am spending more quality time with him which is a good thing. This will be very important going forward. Trish is doing well with pregnancy despite her diet. She sure has a lot of will power and extremely consistent with her diet. I hope she sees that I am trying. It could be a better year in 2014. Just gotta hang in there and think positive. I just want good health for us and family and keep striving to do my best and it will be a great year.

January 1, 2013

Wow. where do I start? I must write that this has been, by far, the most challenging year of my 43 years. It was also rewarding at the same time. From a manager who tormented me to a trip to Hawaii to buying a house to remodeling a house to our marriage being on the brink, I have survived it all. I starting going to therapy but with the job change and the remodel, I did not go more. I think I need to revisit this in 2013 with or without Trish. I am employed at a large company called Tibco Software. I have been there 4 months and it is going relatively well. I have an office in Palo Alto and cover a large geography and travel more frequently than before. I have been to Seattle, Portland and Sacramento and will probably go to North Carlolina in 2013. It has been a fantastic year with my side project with Donato(best year to date) and it is year 7 with that. I deserve to be happier in life and I need to not argue as much with the people that care about me. Even though I may be right, it is not worth it in the end. I also deserve to be healthy both in the mind and body and working out, massage, golf will be a part of my well being this coming year. There are some things about my marriage that I dont necessarily like but I feel we can get through them. Dustin has been a joy and shining star in our lives. From swimming lessons to trips to the park to seeing him smile make me feel proud. He is going through a lot with the transition to the new school but he is a trooper and progressing quite well. I know he will live a full functioning life one day and he is in good hands with Eva and company at Arundel. Trish is doing most of the work with Dustin along with Diane and I am lucky we have so much help. I need to keep reminding myself of this as not a lot of people have this. 2013 can only be better on so many levels than 2012 because we have a home of our own in a great neighborhood, my work is going well and I have my health. My family has been pissing me off of late but I know they have my back through thick and thin. I need to calm down and take deep breaths when I feel stressed(my old yoga instructor Erin told me this) and I think I need to listen to this. My good friends like Adam Smith, Todd Rose, Jeff Roodman and Robert Briant are always there for me and I appeciate it immensely. Until next time...

Halloween, 2010

It is eve of Halloween and everybody else is sleeping. Trish is playing cards at Uncle Bill and Aunt Diane's. We watched game 3 of the World Series up there. Giants are up 2-1 and it has been extremely exciting. My time has been watching the Giants, Halloween parties, gymboree classes, seeking employment and trying to get through the challenges in life. Dustin is starting to learn and comprehend and is very cute when he says the alphabet song. He can make animal sounds and he is learning Old McDonald very well.

I had a good thing at my last employer, AppSec but they decided that they did not need Biz Dev role. They are still paying for the deals I closed and are a reference. I was bummed as I really liked the people, work ethic and direction of the company. But life teaches you that things can change quickly and you have to be prepared for those quick changes. Luckily, financially we are fine. We continue to fill our rented house with toys and games for Dustin. I think he has about 50 books that he loves to look on a daily basis. Dustin's 2nd Bday is coming up and it should be fun with friends and family. Mom is coming into town next week for a few weeks so that should be fun.

That is about it for now. Until next post..

wrap up of 2009

It has been a very interesting year in 2009. Alas, it is coming to a close in a few days and I thought I would reflect on some of the key highlights.

1. Dustin-our bundle of joy is now walking and even has molars coming in. He has such a great disposition. He is happy, cheerful, sweet, focused and plays very well in the "gated community". I am sure he will like more space and a background in 2010.

2. Trisha has been such a great mother. I never knew how much love one can display toward her son as I have witnessed with her over the last year. She continues to be able to balance her work and care for Dustin in a very positive way. It is nice that she works from home to be able to do this at this age. She is also a great wife and she cares about her family like nobody's business. I love you, babe

3. Job transitions-After a "sabbatical" from the security industry, I am back in it with a great company called AppSec Consulting. The team is great and I really feel comfortable at this company. It reminds me of a company I worked for in the early days called Siegeworks where I really liked it. Sometimes in life, you take chances and do what is right for your family at the time and I have learned some valuable lessons this year. I hope to continue to learn and provide sound advice and solutions to my clients.

4. No more condos. We sold both condos in 2009. We did this over a period of 4 months(August-November). We are excited about getting a house but we are going to live in a house in San Mateo near Beresford park for the next 6 months or so. We will see if we like the area and make sure my career is secure before we purchase.

There were a lot of other life events in 2009 that we survived. I look forward to 2010 and the challenges it will bring. It can only get better from here on out.

Happy New Year and bring it on!

T and A