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A mother is born, by Regina Phillips

This is my favorite chapter from Chicken Soup for the Mother and Daughter Soul.

http://spiritualsoul.net/profiles/blogs/a-mother-is-born

Letter to my dad

    This is the 1st real letter I've ever written you. Sorry it took me so long but the fact that you are never going to read it had something to do with it. I thought I might update you on what has been going on in my life since you left but it has been 15 years so it would take me forever and since I have a baby I don't have that kind of time. Yes, you have a granddaughter and she looks exactly like you. We even call her Sergita sometimes. She has your same expressions and everything. Some days I think it is you. I wish you could see her, she is beautiful. 

    I married the best man I ever met. He is American so I'm teaching him Spanish. He is a great dad. I know you would have liked him a lot. Everybody does. I pray to God everyday that we never loose him like I lost you. It's been so hard. I still miss you so much, I will miss you for the rest of my life. 

    I live in San Diego, I try to stay away from everyone I know you would understand why. It's peaceful, nobody yells my name. Your birthday is coming up, that is pretty much the only time I make it to church. Different church every time. I hope that changes now that I have a family and a home. I desperately wanted stability but nobody told me it would take getting used to. My old self still feels like she has to run but it's just the habit, and the I realize I am very happy here and I no longer need to flee. I am so proud to say I have finally found my place. 

   Thank you for not abandoning us voluntarily like some dads do. I know you fought for us and you did great. I will never forget that and I haven't forgotten what you said. And daddy, I love you too. I will be thinking of you. Happy birthday wherever you are. 

El Mesón de los Angeles

My Reward For Being So Impatient

   Today my baby girl turns 1 and all I can say is, I am so glad I didn't listen to anyone who told me to wait a little longer , to focus on my career, to make more money (as if that even mattered to me), travel the world with my hubby first, etc. If I had, I wouldn't be the happiest version of me right now.

 
    
    I was in such a hurry to meet you and to hold you and even though I've doubted myself at times I am proud to say I was right to be so impatient. Looking at your face I see my past, my present and my future. Thank you Gia for being so amazing. Happy 1st birthday little momma! I love you and I promise I will be the best mother I can be for you always.

Dania's cakes

Breakfast @ The Trails Eatery

So Dania and I decided to stop at a new place for breakfast this morning. We were downtown attempting to get CPR certified (which was a complete failure because of my fear of massive crowds of people), when we ditched like a senior ditches his last class of the day.

We drove around a little bit longer and finally Dania and Baby's stomach began to rumble and the search for a restaurant was on! Dania looked up some food joints, that unlike McDonald's serve breakfast after 10:00am (which to Dania is ridiculous!), near our house. The Trails Eatery came up as one of the closest locations so we decided to give it a try.

It's located in a shopping center, nestled in between a grocery to the north and hardware store to the south on the corner of Jackson Drive and Navajo Road. When we pulled up two other parties were attempting to enter at the same time, so we had a feeling it was going to be halfway decent. Upon entering the retro looking place we were greeting by the soothing sound of families and couples chatting over nice sized plates of food. The walls were coated with vintage mug shots of who knows who and advertisements that may have been innovative in the 50's.

We were seated within a few minutes and instantly asked about drinks. I ordered coffee and Dania a hot chocolate (because the baby inside loves them!) They were brought to our table right away, Dania's hot chocolate in an impressive large round mug foaming with whipped cream and topped with some cinnamon. The coffee is what you would expect from your average mom and pop breakfast spot, fresh ground and just strong enough.

Their menu was not overwhelming and had just enough options. Dania and I looked straight past the pancake breakfasts and went with omelets. Dania chose the ABC Omelet which included avocado, bacon and cheddar for which she substituted for jack cheese. I went with the Spanish Omelet which included shredded beef, peppers and cheese. We both chose to go with the home fries and toast (Dania wheat and I sourdough) as our sides.

The food took a little longer than expected to arrive but did look pretty darn good. The home fries were thin slices of potato sauteed in butter, muy delicioso! The toast was also generously spread with butter. Now for the omelets, they didn't appear to be all that large but after a couple bites I realized I was in for a great meal. The Spanish omelet was covered in sour cream and some salsa which may have been out of a can. The shredded beef inside was pretty tasty and tender and the peppers cooked just right. Plenty of cheese to boot! Dania refuses to comment on her omelet besides saying blah. Who knows exactly what that means, maybe the baby, but let's just note that her omelet was almost completely finished. So it couldn't have been all that bad. I've seen her leave a lot more food on her plate before. I had about three cups of coffee, and Dania finished her hot chocolate. She wanted a refill but the waitress informed us that they do have to charge for another refill because the hot chocolate is out of a packet, not all that special. So the waitress gave her some decaf coffee with a lot more whipped cream.

All in all we were satisfied and left full. The total bill for the food was $23 and some change. We left a decent tip and took off.

Overall we would give this place a 3/5. The food was good, the prices better and the service not bad. We might go there again, but not until we try some other places.

The Trails Eatery

7389 Jackson DriveSan Diego, CA 92119