Day 1
A must stop at the Bagel Shack in San Clemente.
After a very rough few days, we I needed to get away from Monrovia.
Instagram post. Yes I am aw natural, but you will see below what my mood was the first morning we were in San Clemente.
So to add to the tale of the "Drama with a Peacock..."
Our neighbors, since the peacock showed up at our house on Audrey's first birthday, have named and claimed a Peacock, Patricia! However, it lived, hid under our front bushes, pooped peed, ate all the flowers on our porch. Audrey had crawled/wobbled out onto the porch several times when I would be talking to someone who had stopped by and stepped or fell on the slimy peacock poop. So over the last 4 years, one major blow up with our neighbors when we called animal control to come trap it to take it away, and many of our own attempts to get rid of the peacock, our gardener finally caught, on a warm summer day, the peacock when it was sitting on eggs under our front tree. He came to me as I was working in my garage and asked what I wanted to do with it. Wide eyed and not believing what I saw, I had him put the bird in a tupperware box with the lid propped open with some bread crumbs. I carefully put the tupperware in the trunk of my car and carefully took it to the arboretum, had a family ritual of setting it free, and were so happy to have done what the neighbors had asked us to do 4 years ago if we ever caught it. Ryan filmed the whole thing and eventually posted it on FB. Now fast forward to just before school started, and Charol from across the street asked if she could "talk to me some time" when I neighborly called to let her know there was a man walking up and down the street digging through the trash cans. I thought we were finally on good terms where we could alert the neighbors if there was any suspicious activity on our street, which we have had the months before. When she asked that, I thought, "Oh great, now what?!" I didn't have time to talk to her then since I was on my way to a service project with my kids. And I left it alone. Then one Monday she confronted me when I was out front taking pictures of the kids playing. I won't get into what was said, but it was done with vicious vindictiveness. I was accused of "hurting and trapping" the peacock, taking it away from its home, and betraying the trust of the neighborhood. No matter what I tried to calmly explain or say to her, she would not hear it. She had her mind set on what I had done and how she was going to tell me off. So I finally just stopped talking and ended it with, "I don't know what to say to you. I don't think I did anything wrong. If you feel like I did it to upset you, than that is your own issue cause I can't take all this on anymore." Then I turned and walked away FUMING! I was shaking with anger. I have tried over and over again to show kindness to my neighbors, even when they hadn't shown any in return. Actually the opposite.
That following Thursday, I went out to get the mail, around 7 pm. There was a letter addressed to Ryan and I, with the return address from Ryan and I. Confused, I opened it and started to read the first line of the letter inside. I immediately dropped it on the counter and stormed out. Ryan picked it up and read it while he laughed at how ridiculous the whole page was, accusing us of being terrible neighbors, to say the least. I never read it. I was so angry, I quickly packed up my girls backpacks, put them in the car and headed down the street. I had to get out of Valmont Drive. I had taken a picture of it to txt to Tricia Rodriguez, who lived kitty corner from me, asking if she knew anything about it. Since it did claim that it was the whole street who felt such anger toward us. She said she knew nothing about it and was quite mad herself for being labeled as a part of it. I then sent it to a friend who knows the back story to ask her what I should do. I was so angry my skin was crawling. It was hot, tingling and shaky. I had never experienced such anger before. Even when I talk about it today, I still get shaky and my voice wobbles. I ended up stopping my car at the end of the street and realized that I can't let these people who are 2-3 times my age try to bring me down. I know I have done everything to be kind and show Christlike love. So I turned my car around, quickly went back inside to my kitchen, grabbed the banana bread I had made to take to my neighbors and marched right over to Charol and Georges house. I told myself, "Don't cry, don't cry." George ended up being the one to answer the door. I held out the bread and said, "I made this for you today. And then I got a terrible letter (cue the shaky voice) in the mail today. He didn't quite hear what I had said so I just held the bread towards him and said, "I want you to know I made this for you today.' He took it, I started to cry, then I turned and ran away, back to my car, and headed to San Clemente.
I cried the whole hour and half drive there. Ryan on the other hand found humor in the whole thing and posted the letter on fb. So many friends saw it and started to comment on how ridiculous it was. My good friend April saw it and called me and talked me through all my emotions as I drove heavy hearted.
By the time we arrived at Margarite Ave, my in laws had been filled in on the recent drama with the peacock. I sat with them for a bit talking the whole thing through, and my father in law had some words of wisdom. My mother in law always listens and bites her tongue, but she too told me to let it go. I know I was better than what my neighbors had tried to portray me as, but that evening was a rough one. The feeling that I can't be comfortable in my own home was so frustrating. But I made it through the night. And the looooong thread of comments on Ryan's FB that I was able to wake up to the next morning helped me get over it and plan a fun day at the beach with my girls.
However, as I sat on the beach, my phone rang. I looked at it and saw the name. I panicked, then quickly hit end. No way was I ready or rational to speak to the person who had started all this drama. So I called Ryan to tell him that she had tried to call and then left a message. He told me to listen to it and see what she wanted. It took me a few minutes cause I didn't want it to ruin my day with my kids at the beach. I had left home to get away from it. I finally did and she acted confused and said that her husband had told her that I had stopped by the night before and that I was crying. She wanted to make sure I was ok. yada yada yada. Now I will admit that in this moment I didn't believe she was sincere. She realized she had hurt me and wanted to back peddle. But I wasn't in the right place to defend myself or be kind. So I left it alone.
I did my best to enjoy the weekend. As you will see in this post. See bottom of this post for the rest of this story.
Naomi went missing for about 35 min. I couldn't see her out in the marina and started to get a little worried. That's when I saw the red life guard boat pulling up to the shallow end. I walked over to talk to them and say them throwing Naomi's surf board over the edge into the water, then her jumping in after it. As she walked up to where I was waiting, sheepish smile on her face, she said the life guards stopped her and a few other kids that were out on the deep end of the bay, that they needed to have life jackets on if they were under 12 years old. So they gathered up all the kids and brought them back to the beach. From then on we wore life jackets.
Day 2
Beach Day! San Clemente State Beach
We met up with Caroline and Dara at the beach just down from the condo where we stay. The girls had a full day of sun bathing, sand castle making, crab catching, and friend making.
Day 3
Baby Beach, Dana Point
This has become a favorite stop when we are down in San Clemente cause Naomi can take her surf board out and use it like a paddle board, the beach is small with no waves which is perfect for little kids to not wander too far, and I feel like I can sit and relax.
As tradition would have it, my girls always want to stop at Rocket Fizz when we are in San Clemente. And of course the coerce Ryan into taking them. He met us down there late on Saturday.
Not a bad view.
Once we were home and prepared for the first day of school, (see previous post) and after having a rough first week with high emotions, 3 different schools, the full moon that made me lose control of my own emotions, I needed more time to decompress from "LIFE!" So many changes and drama had been thrown my way. I started teaching in Glendora again, Naomi started competition dance team and jr high, and, well Audrey... It was just rough.
About 2 weeks into school, I was home alone. It is such a strange thing to be home alone after 11 years of having 1 or 2 kids home at any given time. With Audrey now in school, I had time to clean my house, actually get myself ready for the day, and think straight. I did a lot of scripture reading, seeking of inspirational quotes, and learning to let things go, turn the other cheek, and forgive 7 times 70. Out of the blue at 12 pm, mid week, as I was getting ready for the day, there was a knock on the door. I instinctively knew who it was. I opened the door and it was Charol. She asked if she could come in so we could talk. I invited her in and let her sit in a chair as I sat on the arm of the little sofa. She said she has thought everyday, read inspirational quotes in a book of daily affirmations, and in her bible reading, and felt she needed to come over and make things right with me. I let her say all she needed to. Then I calmly explained that I was hurt by her and the letter, which she said wasn't her doing, and that I wanted to let her know that I truly had let it go. I wasn't going to dwell on it anymore. If the neighbors want to pit me against everyone else, then so be it. They will not change who I am and who I try to be, a Christlike example. Cause that's all I have ever tried to be with those around me. And especially as an example to my children. A lot more was said, we stood and I gave her a good hug. I had hoped we could move forward from here and really let the drama from a peacock go.
So far things have been muted. However, it is a shame that I still don't feel comfortable in my own neighborhood. I don't like to be out front. I don't know who wrote the letter and has vindictive feelings toward me. I don't know if the smiles and waves are fake. But for now, I learned a huge lesson in true Christlike behavior. It was a hard lesson, but I can really say I know what it means to "turn the other cheek, forgive 7 time 70, let it go, and so many more.."
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