David's Birth Story

My little boy is two months old today. We can't believe how big he has gotten. I started writing his birth story shortly after he was born, but never finished it. I'm finally getting to it.

My pregnancy was pretty much uneventful and I had an ideal birth. I really thought he would be at least two weeks early, but as I approached my due date, there were absolutely no signs pointing towards imminent labor and I was beginning to fear a large baby. But one day before David's due date, he decided he was ready to break free. My water broke on Thursday, September 18th at 6:20 a.m. The amniotic fluid was clear and there was no blood, so we took our time calling my midwife. And I wanted to stay home and be comfy for as long as I could.

Ken was in Mia's room because she woke up earlier that morning. He came back to our room with Mia and knew something was up because the light was on and I never turn on the light that early in the morning. I was calm and got dressed. Ken tended to Mia while I took a long walk with Kona to help move things along. Then I came home and ate breakfast and showered. We probably called the midwife, Lin's beeper around 8 a.m. I was still only feeling cramps and in no real pain at that point. I had my 40th week check later that morning at 10:45, so Ken told Lin we would just see her then. Lin told Ken that second time could move very fast and boy was she right!

Ken suggested that we go out to eat breakfast, but I said, I didn't think I'd be comfortable, so instead, I sent him and Mia to the library to return our library books and to get bagels. I also called my doula and told her that I was doing okay and that I would just call her after my 10:45 appointment.

Soon after Ken left for the library, my contractions became more and more intense and very close together. But none of the contractions lasted a minute so I still thought I had a long way to go. The pain was all in my back and none of it was in my abdomen or pelvis, so I thought my boy moved and was sunnyside up after all my hard work to get him to face the right way (chiropractor and exercise). It was all feeling very much like it did with Mia who was sunnyside up, so I started to panic a bit about being able to go through with a natural labor sans epidural. A little after 9 a.m. I called Ken--who didn't answer his cell--because the pain was excruciating and I was ready to head to the hospital. Since he didn't pick up his phone, I went upstairs to try to pee and couldn't. I read that emptying your bladder helps move things along so I figured I should try that. No luck, so I ran a bath and got in hoping it would help me cope with the pain. I was on my hands and knees rocking in the bath, but the thing that made me feel better was yelling. By then, Ken called and spoke to my mom, so he was on his way home. The contractions were pretty much one top of each other and I was seeing some bloody show.

I remember being in our bathroom when Ken returned home and asking him to get me a pad and the guy goes into a drawer and hands me a pantyliner. I was like, what am I going to do with that? I need a serious pad, like an overnight one. BOYS! I could barely make it downstairs to the garage and was trying to appear nonchalant by not screaming because Mia was around, so now I now what gnashing of teeth means. Mia wanted to come with us, but I handed her a pack of fruit snacks and gave her a quick hug and that seemed to appease her. It was also a good thing that my mom had been around for nearly two weeks, so she was okay being left with Pua Pua.

Once in Ken's Mini, I let it all out and yelled and moaned through all the contractions which were all in my back. I felt like someone was taking a bat full force to my back. I kept waiting for the pain to move to my front but it never did. I was totally reclined, but I saw that Ken ran some reds as we made our way to El Camino Hospital. He was otherwise his cool self. I was calling on Jesus and the baby to "HELP ME" get through it and I was yelling "OPEN" to my cervix. I felt tremendous pressure in my pelvis and felt like pushing towards the end of our ride. I also remember telling the baby to move into the right position.

When we arrived at the hospital we left the car and everything out front. I could barely walk and felt like pushing. Ken found a wheelchair and I was yelling, "HELP ME" all the way. We arrived at L&D and the nice volunteer in the lobby held the door open for us. The nurses were calm and it seemed like they encounter these scenarios all the time. They directed us to a nearby room, Olga, the other midwife in the practice was there helping another couple. She heard me screaming and came to check me. I'll never forget what she said, "You are already at 10 cm, so you can stop yelling OPEN, save your energy". I was so relieved to hear those words and very excited to meet my little guy. I felt ready to regroup.

The nurses just quickly checked the baby's heartbeat to make sure he was okay and I started pushing on my knees. It turned out that the baby was in the right position. I must just labor in my back. . . not fun. Being on my hands and knees was the best position to be in for me. I had been afraid of the pushing, but it turned out that pushing was a huge relief and not as painful as the contractions during the transition period. Lin talked me through all the pushing with her calm voice. Then she suggested that I squat on the floor while holding a bar from the bed. I really didn't feel like leaving the bed, but I did it and pushed a couple of times there before Lin said I better get back on the bed because the baby was coming. I have to say, my boy was very good to me. He didn't make it difficult on me by prolonging things or decelerating. Our guy came about 20 minutes after we arrived at the hospital at 10:48 am. He was 8 pounds and 2 ounces. It was just a little over four hours after my water broke. We joked with Lin that we made our 10:45 appointment after all. It was an exhilarating experience and I feel so blessed to have had such a quick labor. My poor doula arrived just after the baby did, so she missed it. But she got some great pics for us because we didn't have our stuff with us.

After Mia's birth I remember not wanting to have anymore kids. The difference this time is that I feel like I can totally do it again. Just have to convince Ken.

Random and Odd Attachments

Before we left for Hawaii back in May, I bought Mia a pair of flip flops, but she refused to even put them on so I returned them. It was a period when she was extremely opinionated about her footwear and objected to all open-toed sandals. I recall an episode at StrideRite when she refused to try on most sandals and let me know she did not care for them by chucking them. Fast forward to the last couple of weeks. . .

It all started when our neighbor S, a girl a bit older than Mia, wore flip flops during a playdate. Mia told me she wanted shoes like S. Ever since then she tries to wear my flip flops (one of the few shoes my swelling feet can tolerate). Earlier this week, she said, "I want flip stops like Mama's". It was too cute, so I went to Old Navy (bonus, they were 2.10 for a pair!) while she was attending school and bought her "flip stops". Part of me thought she would not like them once she tried them on, but she likes them so much she wants to wear them in the house, but we're a, "Please Remove Your Shoes, Mahalo" family. I have allowed her to carry them upstairs to avoid the drama.

That brings us to Mia's random attachments that are often very shortlived. When traveling in Boston, we did not bring many toys, in fact, we only brought books and crayons, and her loveys which we do not allow to be removed from bed. She became attached to a rubber duckie given to her when we checked into the Westin. We had to bring the duck everywhere we went in Boston. Now it is an occasional part of Mia's bathtime.

For about a week Mia has been attached to a compass with a string on it. She wears it like a necklace and wants to take it with her everywhere. She sports it while in her carseat, but I make her take it off before we get out of the car. Thankfully she is reasonable about leaving things in the car so they do not get lost. One night she took it to bed, but I told her she had to hang it on the side of her bed. Fearful that she might choke on it during the night, I removed it after she fell asleep. When she woke up crying around 5am, Ken went in, but I heard her crying for her compass. I got out of bed and grabbed it from her shelf and gave it to her. She fell back asleep for a bit.

Mia likes the American flag. She points it out whenever we see one and likes to march around the house with a flag I bought her. She also has a DC souvenir shirt with the flag on it that she likes to wear.

Mia has a pair of toddler safe scissors that she loves. It has conveniently been lost in the car (hiding in the seat back pocket) because she insisted on bringing them somewhere. My main issue with her using the scissors was her level of frustration because she could not cut with them. She would get so upset over it. It's been awhile but she will still ask me where it is every so often.

Do your kids have random attachments?

First Haircut @ 28 months!

We took Mia for her very first haircut this weekend. My genes gave her sparse hair from birth and it has not really grown in much, but is long in the back. If she's anything like me, it won't really come in until she's four years old. Poor thing will be mistaken for a boy until then. I used to be opposed to girly clothes, but gave in because people kept assuming she was a little boy. And she received a lot of girly outfits. But I digress, recently Mia began to scratch her neck and pull at her hair, so we decided that though she does not have much, we should take her for a haircut.
Looking Down

Mia did very well at Lollipop Cuts, a salon that specializes in pee wee clients. We arrived early so that Mia could play and see some other kids getting hair cuts. I think it helps that she has gone with us to get our hair cuts. The shop has various cars for their clients, a large screen TV with an impressive DVD library, a loft filled with toys and video games and of course tons and tons of lollipops! That went over really well with Mia. She picked a pink classic cruiser and though the stylist was pretty rough (guess they have to establish control), especially when trying to get Mia to look down, she did extremely well. You can see her look of dismay in the pictures, but no tears or protests. I think the lollipops helped. We would hand her one to hold every couple of minutes and told her to look down at them when she wanted to look up.
The Sneer

What's Keeping Her Going

Sutures Removed and Cat Crazy!

Mia and I took Kona to get her stitches removed today, but shortly before we left I noticed that some of the stitches were already gone. Sneaky Kona, even with the cone, she was somehow able to do some acrobatics and lick her wound. Thankfully the vet said she healed well.

While waiting at the vet, there was a family there and the mom was crying because they lost their pet. Mia kept asking me, "What's a-yi doing?" and I tried to explain that she's very sad because her dog went to heaven and she can't be with it anymore. Mia kept asking me, "Where's a-yi's dog?" and why the woman was crying. On the way home, she saw some a dog being walked, and said, "Look a-yi's doggy there!" I think she thought she "found" the dog. It's hard to explain the concept of death let alone heaven to a 28 month old! And yes, there is a doggy heaven! I start to tear up whenever I think about Kona dying. She's four and I hope she lives another 10+ years.

We also saw a kitty in box while waiting at the vet's. Because of that darn Caillou and his cat Gilbert, Mia loves cats. Sometimes she says, "I don't love dogs, I love cats." Oh boy, I am so not a cat person. She's already asked for a cat so we promised her a toy cat, but this kid is picky! We have gone to look for stuffed cats, but none of them have been quite right. Mia will say they are too big or just flat out refuses the ones we have come across. I think what she really wants is Gilbert.
I really don't want to give in to her Caillou craze, but sadly I did look online and saw that I can procure a Gilbert stuffed cat from ebay. Should I do it? Maybe it could be from her didi (little brother) when she first comes to visit us in the hospital? I had planned on getting her train tracks, but. . .

Thomas

Mia and Papa on the Train Pulled by Thomas

A couple of weeks ago we took Mia to Day Out With Thomas with some friends from church. It was kind of a let down for us adults, but the kids seemed to have a great time. We took a 25 minute "train ride" where the cars were pulled by Thomas. We were in the third car, but I guess for the kids it was still a thrill.

The events were kind of boring to us as adults, plus it was HOT and wiped me out. Guess we've lost the glint of childhood fun in our eyes. There was a Thomas coloring and painting station where the kids were just given xeroxed copies of Thomas and Friends to color and paint. For some reason this was loads of fun for Mia. Look, we can do that home kiddo, was my first thought. Mia and her friends also had fun running around and climbing bales of hay. We didn't even bother to get in line to meet Sir Toppam Hat. Mia likes and knows Thomas, but not the whole gang so she wasn't affected by her lame parents who didn't want to wait in line.
Mia Painting

Other highlights were getting a tattoo, face painting, and snow cones. But Mia wanted the painting on her arm and then she promptly wanted the tattoo removed. Oh well...
Mia Sharing her Snow Cone with E

We ended the day with a puppet show and then loads of kalbi at F & J's.

Price of Beauty

The above is a picture of Kona lying on the couch with an Elizabethan collar to keep her from licking her wound and accidentally removing her stitches. My little Kona has been through a lot in her short life. She's had two knee surgeries, been to the ER to induce vomiting after ingesting ant bait, had a tooth extracted, and been attacked twice by the neighbor's dog. The latest incident happened at the groomer's yesterday. We had a free day on Wednesday so I called the groomer we've been going to since a hack job at PetCo last summer. Canine Showcase is just 2 minutes away, they've always done a superb job and Kona appears happy there. They were able to take us last minute. I brought Kona there at 9am and expected to pick her up at 2pm.

Mia and I spent the morning running errands and then at 1pm while Mia was napping I received a phone call from the owner of Canine Showcase saying that she accidentally cut Kona's dew claw (an appendage that most dogs have removed at birth) and that it was bleeding. When I picked Kona up an hour later, she was still bleeding and I saw that the dew claw was half cut off. I took Kona to Sunnyvale Vet Clinic and long story short, they needed to sedate her to remove the dew claw. The bill came to a whopping 525 dollars and some change! That included all the meds during surgery and post-op as well as the two follow-up visits she needs. Luckily the groomer said up front that she would pay the vet bill and I have to commend her, she was very apologetic and took full responsibility for the incident. I could tell she honestly felt terrible about what happened.

The whole incident has helped teach Mia a little something about compassion and caring for a sick pet. She kept saying, "Sorry Kona" and that she wanted to get Kona a toy.

Below is a picture of Kona's sutures.

First Sewing Projects

After taking the sewing machine basics class last Sunday, I embarked on my first project, a nursing cover. It's not perfect, but I managed to complete it last night using this pattern. The only part I skipped was the boning at the collar area. I couldn't find boning and figured I could do without it. Will probably try to make another one if I find fabric I like.



On my first trip to Eddie's Quilting Bee, I bought a very pretty flannel with flowers and butterflies on it to make Mia a throw blanket for her new big bed. I finally finished it tonight. Again the stitching is not perfect, but I'm sure Mia won't notice.

A few days ago, I took her to Joann's to get some needles and browse the fabrics. There were no shopping carts and Mia was wandering beside me (most of the time), but she kept fixating on fabric with hearts. She would pull out the bolts of heart fabric and say, "Maybe Mama likes this one" or "How about this one?" In the end I didn't buy any fabric because I wanted to use up the fabric I already have, but she kept asking for a heart blanket. I kept telling her she was going to get a butterfly blanket instead. On Saturday morning she woke up and asked Ken, "Where's my heart blanket?" So now that I'm done with her butterfly blanket, we'll go shop for some heart fabric. . .

Frequently Visited

Can you believe that I go to Trader Joes, Safeway and Whole Foods at least once a week each? On top of this we go to the Sunnyvale Farmer's Market every Saturday for our fruits. Highly unlikely that I will keep that up after the baby comes. Sometimes I go to Trader Joes twice a week. There are items I like to purchase at each place and each store has it's perks.

Trader Joes
Mia gets a balloon (she recently started liking them again after a traumatic loss last fall when her balloon flew away) and generous supply of stickers given each time so that's a major draw! Mia and I both like to sample from the demo area. We like to get our organic milk and dairy products there. They have the best prices. Other Mia approved items are chicken stock, organic alphabet pasta, mini bagels, cheeses, cereals, crackers, quattro frommagio pizza, frozen waffles, dried fruit bars, organic kiwi, and other fruits. Trader Joes carries some fun items to try out and usually the items do not let me down. Their gluten free brownie mix was delicious and I love their Swedish Pancake mix. Recently I found out that if you ask they will help you load your car!

Safeway
Being very pregnant, I like always being offered help out at Safeway. I only wish they would follow me home and unload the groceries so that I don't have to lug them up two flights of stairs. Let's see, I go to Safeway when I have to. I am not happy with their fruits, but if I've run out, I'll buy some there. I go there for mainstream stuff on sale like Cheerios, Heinz ketchup (after trying out organic and other brands, Heinz is the best), and sometimes meats.


Whole Foods
Ah, if money were no object, I would shop here all the time. But surprisingly some items are cheaper there. For example, flour. You can get a five pound bag for less than the regular price at Safeway or TJs. Mia enjoys a free juice box and string cheese at the Los Altos store each Wednesday after Chinese Story Time. Then we share a slice of cheese pizza. She also loves that they have small shopping carts though I dread it when they are available b/c it slows down our shopping. We also buy Elmo Soup (Earth's Best), meats, organic coffee beans if on sale, and whatever fruit might be on sale if I've run out. I also like that they have a great selection of bulk foods.

Other Spots

Every once in a while we go to 99 Ranch or Marina for our Chinese snacks and food items. We also go to Han Kook Market for marinated beef and side dishes.

Come September I will be sending Ken out to do our shopping and might even try Safeway.com

Mia's Latest Phrases & Big Bed Coming Soon!

Here are some of the things that come out of Mia's mouth these days. She is also starting to ask permission to do things which is great.

"Just a little bit"/"Just a little bit more"/"Almost done"
These phrases are used by Mia many times a day when I want her to stop something or shift to a different activity or get ready to leave the house. They collectively mean, I'm no where near done. Getting her out of the little wading pool and bathtub takes quite a bit unless we swoop her out, but that often results in some drama.

"I want Mama/Papa/____ share Mia"
If Mia wants something that belongs to us or a friend, she always says the above phrase. But sometimes it's an object or food item she should not have like a knife or gum. How do you explain not sharing when you want the child to learn to share? I usually say, it's not for kids.

"What are you doing?"
All day long, Mia asks me this question and even when I respond she asks me over and over again.

"I want come too"
If one of us leaves to go somewhere or to walk Kona, Mia always wants to be part of the fun.

We ordered Mia's "big bed" (a twin with a trundle) back in mid-June. It was due to arrive by first week of July, but we still don't have it. Ken's called numerous times, been hung up on, put on hold for 10 minutes, and told to call back. Finally the entire order is in, but we found out that they only deliver on weekends and have a backlog of deliveries. The store has a good selection, but do not order furniture from Baby Super Rocker World unless you have plenty of time to wait. The main disappointment is that we've hyped up this "big bed" for so long and Mia asks us all the time where her big bed is. She says, "Crib is for di di (little brother), Mia has big bed".

We decided to just get the mattress though we are unsure of when the actual bed will come. I really need the bed because getting Mia into the crib and lifting her out is not easy with a big belly.

This morning, I gave Mia a big surprise present. It was a dragonfly and butterfly twin sheet set, quilt and sham. We had to wash the set so she got it this morning. Papa came home a little early and went to pick up a twin mattress for the bed from Mattress Discounters. Mia said, "I'm so excited!" as we made up the bed. As a result it took her a long time to fall asleep tonight, but no crying and she didn't get out of bed. We'll see how the next few nights go with all the changes. Along with removing the crib, we also took out the glider this morning and replaced it with her little arm chair. Poor girl has a lot of transition ahead of her.

I'll post pics of the big bed when it comes.

Sew Excited & Other Shopping Highlights

Well, you all know I love to shop and craft, but am CHEAP too. So I enjoy a good bargain. I've been wanting a sewing machine for ages though I don't know how to use one very well. My cheapness motivated me to look for a machine because I refuse to pay nearly 40 bucks for a nursing cover when it's only a square piece of cloth (costs less than a couple of bucks to get a yard of fabric at Joanne's) with a strap sewn on. Well, it is slightly more complex with some boning added to the side with the strap to make the fabric to be stiff thus allowing the mom to view the baby. I digress.

I started looking on craigslist last week for a sewing machine and came across a man selling the Janome Hello Kitty sewing machine. Brand New in box. Target sells them for 109.99 and he only wanted $65 for the machine. I thought about haggling a bit because I am cheap, but then again, I thought it was a really good deal for an adorable machine that has some decent reviews. I just didn't want to trek to Milpitas with Mia in tow, but in the end, I did it. How could any Asian girl resist Hello Kitty? It was a big decision because even $65 bucks seems to be a big purchase to me.

Back in 1999 I took a sewing class, but I was so intimidated when I opened up the box that I decided I better sign up for a class so that I don't break my lovely and cute new machine. So off I went to Eddie's Quilting Bee to sign-up for a class. I'll be sitting in a class all day next weekend with my sewing machine. The serious sewers with their white Berninas will turn their noses up at me for sure, but whatever. I can't wait to learn how to work my machine! Of course while I was browsing at Eddie's I could not resist their beautiful designer fabrics. There I learned that Joann's is cheap for a reason. The designs at Eddies are much nicer. But of course, it's quite a bit more than Joann's. Everything seemed to start at 9.49 per yard, but I found the cutest flannel fabric with butterflies and flowers on it for a throw for Mia (her big bed is set to arrive anytime now though the store promised end of June) and a Asian Zodiac patterned fabric for a blanket for the new baby. With their Christmas in July sale going on, I decided to get bit of each. Will post pics once I make my projects. As for the nursing cover that started it all, I'll be going to Joann's tomorrow in search of cheap fabric as well as the required items for my class this weekend!

While lunching in Campbell with some Las Madres friends, we happened upon a new yarn shop, Green Planet Yarns. I was only able to browse for a minute since Mia was with me, but what a beautiful shop and a friendly owner. Will definitely have to return though I have not done any knitting a long time. She had a whole wall of Blue Sky Alpaca organic yarns, all naturally dyed and it reminded me that I have some Blue Sky left from that time I bought a whole lot at Monkey Knits in Seattle before it closed.

Lastly I spent almost all day and night Saturday and half of Sunday in SF with girlfriends. What a much needed treat after a long few days with Papa on the road. We got our nails done, window shopped in Hayes Valley, Noe Valley and downtown. Then enjoyed a lovely dinner, then drinks at the hotel bar, and finally did lots of girl talk while lounging on the Westin's Heavenly Bed.

I came home with some cute items for Mia and the baby boy. Nothing for me, but it's so much more fun to get stuff for them now, plus I had just gotten the sewing machine for me. Found some bargains at the huge flagship Old Navy downtown. Bought the most adorable board books at Lavish that I have not seen anywhere else. Not sure if they will be for Mia or used as gifts. I bought Haiku for Baby and a Taro Gomi book My Friends. My fave food stops were Miette for some gumballs, Lovejoy's Tea, and Blue Bottle Coffee.

Now I'm feeling rejuvenated and hope to be less short with Mia and Papa.

It's Been A Year!

We officially closed on the home we a year ago. It's hard to believe that we packed up and left Seattle last July 2rd! Mia has grown up so much since last summer. She can help me make lemonade and cupcakes, she speaks in sentences, can often outrun me, negotiates very well, and more. But she still wants to be a baby sometimes.

Mia still says, "I want to go to Seattle!" We're sad we could not go this summer visit our friends and to enjoy Seattle in July and August.

Mia Last July
Taken before our home got cluttered with toddler toys.


Living here has some perks for us. Mia can attend Chinese music class, Chinese story time and she will be going to a bilingual Montessori school in a couple of weeks. We are trying it out for two weeks to see how she does. Or to see how I do without her. She'll be going three days a week from 830-noon. Please pray that she adjusts well.

Mia Today
I tried to get her to sit nicely in the chair so that I could mirror last year's photo, but you know how it goes when you want a toddler to do something... She's wearing the mix-matched PJs she picked out for herself.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Mia on a Plane
Here's Mia on the way back from Maui. She's being kept busy with corn flakes. Bringing the carseat on board was a great decision. Though bulky, it kept her in her seated and she's used to it.


Mia on CalTrain

Mia loves trains and with Pua Pua here for ten days we took a ride on CalTrain to Palo Alto. Mia got to experience buying a ticket, waiting for the train, the boarding proces, and the ride itself. During the ride she was very curious about the people on the train, where they were going and what they were doing. She's very repetitive in her questions these days, I must have been asked, "Where's that one going?" and "What's that one doing?" a hundred times. "That one" is how Mia refers to people she does not know. Trying to work on our pronouns. . .

Mia on her favorite ride at Happy Hollow

Our local zoo has many rides, but is about to close for renovations, so we've been there twice in a week and will probably go once more before it closes. Mia usually stays on the Putt Putt cars for 5-6 times continuously before she gets tired.

Video Clip from Retreat

Even though Mia was too young to attend VBS at our church this year, she joined the older kids as they sang for us during our Small Group's Family Retreat. She tried her best. . . It was cute to us. . .

Family Retreat in Watsonville

It was a bit dramatic with the fires in Wastonville, but despite an evening of emails laced with uncertainty we packed up and drove to our small group's family retreat last weekend. It was only about an hour south of our home, but a different world. The highways were open, but it was sad to see the blackened terrain and burnt homes along it. Please pray for the families of those displaced from the wildfires in California and I guess while you are at it all the other families in this country affected by natural disasters this summer.

We arrived at a beach where Mia enjoyed playing in the sand with her friends. The rest of the families were amazingly prepared in terms of gear with umbrellas, canopies, and a fold-out picnic table. We had plenty of yummy food to enjoy as we watched the kids play. Then the lightning and thunder started rolling in. We were under a black cloud, then it would move away and another would replace it. The beach patrol had everyone take down their umbrellas. What a dramatic weekend.

We opted to leave and try to check in to our hotel while most of the other families stuck it out and waited for the storm to pass. And it did. Meanwhile we ventured into Watsonville since we were denied early check-in. We browsed for Mia's new mattress at Mattress Discounters, and checked out the downtown. Not much to see.


Once we checked in, Mia enjoyed the warm indoor pool, then the other families drifted in and joined us. We ate Panda Express for dinner and had an evening full of fun activities. The next morning we went Strawberry picking at Gizdich Ranch which Mia enjoyed thoroughly because Caillou had gone strawberry picking in an episode she watched a day or two beforehand. We topped off the weekend with a yummy Korean lunch back in Santa Clara. What a fun weekend!

Cavity Free!

Mia had her first dental visit this morning and it went surprisingly well. We had been reading her a book sent by her dentist for the last week called, My First Visit. It featured a dinosaur named Dinobrush with a toothbrush at the end of his tail. She was excited to go and see the chair that moves up and down. We found out at the visit that she had all her baby teeth already. I thought we were still waiting for some molars, but I guess she has had all her teeth for a long time.

The office had a sea life theme and Mia got to brush Nemo's teeth (strange to see a mouthful of human teeth on a fish) and starfish's teeth. It took a little bit to get Mia to sit down, she was interested in all the toys and puzzles lying around, but she allowed the dentist to count her teeth, look at them and brush them. She received a new toothbrush, a Dora sticker, had her picture taken and got to pick a prize (she picked a key chain). So naturally she would not leave the office. We played in the waiting room for about 10 minutes before she was ready to leave.

I'm just relieved that she has no cavities given that she gets juice with calcium once a day since she does not drink much milk.

Happy Father's Day @ Elmo Grows Up

Today was just a great family day. We made Papa a breakfast of sausage, eggs and oatmeal. Then we went to church for the first service, came home for Mia's nap and she surprised us with a two hour nap. That was NICE! We were going to go back to church for the Father's Day picnic, but it was too late and Papa wanted to stay home to watch the U.S. Open.

We had tickets for the 4:30 show of Elmo Grows Up so off we went to Mia's first live show. It wasn't as crowded and chaotic as we expected, but Mia was a bit apprehensive when the lights dimmed and the loud music started. She sat on Papa's lap and hugged his body, only periodically turning her head to see the stage. Papa actually enjoyed it because Mia is not too huggy these days. She's become fiercely independent. After a bit, she turned her head to face the stage and clapped at the end of sets. But Elmo and the Sesame Street cast won her over eventually. Mia sat in her seat and was very engaged in the show. During intermission, she wanted more of the show and on the way home she kept asking about going back to see the Elmo show. No more Elmo, but I did buy her a CD of the show's music so she'll get to listen to it a thousand times in the car. Joy for me!

Below is a pic of Mia with her friend S and a pic of Mia hugging her Papa as she watched the show.



On the way home, we stopped by a Target shopping center near downtown San Jose that has gotten good reviews on Yelp and were surprised to see an L&L Hawaiian BBQ, so we enjoyed delicious Hawaiian plate lunches for dinner. Papa had kal-bi and teriyaki chicken, I had chicken katsu and spam, Mia had shrimp and fries. Everything came with the customary two scoops of rice and one scoop of mac salad. So yummy! I love Hawaiian cuisine. It's a blend of all my favorite foods. Chinese, Korean, and Japanese with a touch of American.



Happy Father's Day to all the dads and soon-to-be dads out there!

Overheard

We were at a birthday party this weekend for our neighbor who turned three. Mia had a lot of fun in the bounce house and eating chips. While she was jumping away I overheard a conversation between three other moms (I didn't know them, but being that they all are of a certain socio-economic class, I assume them to be well educated) about public schools. Normally I don't write about such things, but could not resist. What caught my attention was this statement:

Mom: Instead of teaching what kids should learn, they teach what is on the test. I want my kids to learn what they need to know.

Hmm...did you ever consider that what is tested is what they should learn and what they need to know? Questions on the test include basic math and problem solving, reading comprehension questions, items that determine whether students understand parts of speech, etc. Aren't these skills you want your child to master? How do you expect him or her to get into college without being able to do well on a standardized test? Also, visit any public school classroom. The teachers are NOT having the kids bubble in little circles daily.

It's a classic case of parental and public ignorance about the dreaded "test". What is tested are the state standards. I'm a former public school teacher so I hate to see public schools bashed in this manner and I believe in the potential of all public schools. The standards give teachers goals to teach. The test is not simply a measure of a child, but the measure of whether a teacher and a school as a whole has taught all its students well. How are the teachers making sure that all students learn what they need to in order to be successful. The results are also useful in calling to attention the achievement gap between various groups of students. In part it's about accountability.

We hope to send Mia to public school when she reaches kindergarten age and I do want her to learn what is on the tests because what's on the tests are definitely skills she needs to learn in order to succeed in this world.

Fruits of Our Labor

Today was the first day of berry picking at Webb Ranch so off we went since Mia loves raspberries. It was the first time berry picking at a farm for both of us. Though it was in the high 80s today we both had so much fun. Mia picked a few berries, but soon grew tired of picking in the heat so she ate as I picked. Then we saw the wagons the farm provides and our friend was kind enough to pull Mia and her daughter. I dressed her in long sleeves and pants because of the thorns on the bushes so she was truly boiling. In the pics her cheeks are red and when I took off her hat in the car, her head was drenched.

We picked raspberries (the hardest to get to because they are on low bushes and berries are often hidden), loganberries (i never had them, but am hooked, yummy!), and blackberries (cringed to pay for these as they grow abundantly in Seattle).



I found a yummy sounding recipe for Raspberry Lemon Muffins so Mia and I made some this afternoon with the berries we picked. Turned out pretty well. Mia helped line the muffin pan and did a little mixing, but she liked eating the muffins the most. When she saw the batter in the cups, she was confused and kept asking me where the muffins were. I guess inside her little brain, she did not think they looked like muffins and couldn't understand why I was calling them muffins. But when they came out she was happy and it seemed as though something clicked. Guess I should bake more.

My Stars & Poor Kona

While in Hawaii we bought Mia a ukulele which she refers to as her "target" which is how she usually says guitar. She wants to be just like Papa and play her "target". She even dug through her toy box for her microphone. Sometimes Mia gets it right and calls her toy a ukulele, but I think it's pretty funny when she calls it her "target". Here's a video clip of Mia and Papa.

POOR KONA Last night I took Kona for a potty break. Unusual because she usually does not need one, but I had taken her out earlier in the afternoon than usual so I thought she might need a break. I also needed to get our mail. We walked out to the tot play area and the next thing I know our neighbor's dog is charging for Kona and is off leash. This is the second incident with the same dog. I dropped my mail and started yelling, "NO! NO! NO!" But the dog got Kona on the back before I was able to pick her up and before the owner came out. Kona has some bruising, but no puncture wound. She was so scared, she yelped a very high pitched yelp for about 30 seconds after it happened. Papa was and still is mad and wants the dog put down. We'll see what happens. I left things very cordial and our neighbor was very apologetic, but at the same time that dog should never be off leash. It's against the city's codes and our townhome's rules and regulations.

Post Vacation Blues

We returned from Maui on May 16th, then took off for Boston to attend a wedding on May 20th and returned on the 25th. Life on the road is exhilarating and lots of fun for me because we're all together as a family 24/7. Of course I can't deny that it is nice to get freshly laundered towels and an expertly made bed to mess up each day. I love vacations. I'm always bright eyed and bushy tailed upon waking and rarely snooze. Have to soak in each minute and not let it go waste. We were fortunate to spend some time with friends while in Maui though it was very unfortunate for the Bae-Lees that their kids came down with some GI disturbance that resulted in a not so fun vacation for them. We're so sorry that we could not spend more time together. We also go to see Esther, Kwan and Elijah which was fun.

Not sure when we will next get to vacation the way we did in Maui, but I'm already looking forward to it. I'll post more about our trips and pics soon, right now I'm just sad that I'm not catching the breeze in Maui.

Happy 4th Birthday Kona!

Today is Kona's 4th birthday! She's my special first baby and although she did not have a birthday party as she did when she turned one, I did bake her biscuits which I've done every year on her birthday. Mia sort of helped me. It's a really easy recipe that involves only 4 ingredients, flour, baking powder, peanut butter and milk.

Mia and I also took a trip to PetCo this morning to pick out some presents for Kona. Our PetCo has mini shopping carts and Mia loves going there to see the rodents, birds and fish. The girl would really like to have a pet mouse since they are featured so prominently in many popular children's books. There's Maisy, the mouse in Goodnight Moon, the mouse in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the little mouse in Goodnight Gorilla, etc. Sure they are cute, but not for me.

It was nice to watch Mia pick out toys for Kona that she found interesting. In the end, I had her narrow it down to two. We also bought her new toothpaste and some rawhide to keep her teeth clean since she recently had a tooth extracted. I told Mia to keep the presents a secret until Papa came home. She put her finger on her mouth and said, "Shh!!" when I said that. It was so cute. We gave the presents to Kona after dinner and Mia helped Kona open them. I think Kona knew it was her special day. She waited by her bed in the kitchen while the biscuits baked. Maybe she remembers the smell from last year. . .

Baby News

Little kumquat appears to be healthy and developing normally. I had a feeling the baby was a boy and during the May 1st ultrasound it was confirmed. We saw the evidence from many different perspectives so Mia will have a di di (little brother) this September. During the ultrasound the little guy was very active, he played with his feet, flipped around and tried to suck his thumb. So far he seems far more active than Mia in utero. Then again, Mia is a pretty active child now.

The name debates begin. Ken doesn't like the names I love yet offers no suggestions. UGH!

Recently I've been craving random things, but nothing that I need to have all the time.
blue cheese, especially burgers with blue cheese
oreos (TJ's carries an all natural kind that tastes pretty good)
olives (kalamata, which I usually do not like)
salami and other italian cured meats
icey drinks
lots of fruit
cookies
butter, bought some Irish butter, really yummy
french pastries like croissants, tarts
some additions i just thought of:
grape juice, welch's concord grape juice
mayo, always love mayo

Mia is Two!

After weeks of saying, "Mia happy birthday coming", Mia finally got to have her party on April 19th. It's hard to believe that our little girl is a fast talkin' little person. Pua Pua and Uncle Jamie came from LA to celebrate along with 27 of her little friends. She had a fabulous time jumping in the Elmo Bounce House we rented and eating all her favorite snacks.

Here are some interesting tidbits about Mia at two:
-At her two year old pediatrician visit, Mia weighed 27 pounds and measured 34 inches which is pretty tall.
-Mia now has three loveys for bedtime and naptimes. She needs her Hawaiian doll, her Care Bear and a small blankie.
-Mia is in love with Caillou and he's trumped Elmo.
-Mia loves to play with sand and water, does not like them together.
-Mia likes to do everything "by self" just like all toddlers.
-Mia loves to sing and listen to her favorite songs. She's can be heard singing the alphabet song, twinkle twinkle (dubbed up-a-ba-ba for "up above the"), God is so Good, Baa Baa Black Sheep and Allelu Allelu which she thinks is Caillou, Caillou.

Adieu to Ballet

After two 6-week sessions of "Me and My Shadow", a pre-ballet class, Mia has decided to retire from ballet. Or more accurately we've decided she's been telling us it's not her thing. Mia only seems interested in the parts of the class that involve props such as a scarf or stuffed monkey. Even then she's only partially participating. The rest of the time she runs around noticing random things, plays with the vertical blinds, asks to be held, or finds a chair to sit on. Yes, it is very much like a toddler to do such things, but there are other toddlers in the class who are totally into it. They stretch and do all the dances and most of all they look like they enjoy it!

The video is of Mia participating in a song and dance and then deciding in the middle that sitting on a chair would be more fun.

We've signed her up for soccer in May, hoping that she will enjoy running around and kicking a ball. Maybe we'll go back to ballet later, it's good timing because she has outgrown her ballet shoes.

New Shoes

Here's a video of Mia trying out her new shoes as Kona looks on. She is doing her toddler two step to get the shoes to light up. It was a blast to watch her enjoying her new shoes.

Mia and Singing

Mia is getting better and better at singing. Yesterday she sang Happy Birthday to me quite a few times. Usually she stops when I turn on the camera, but she was happily eating last night and started to sing so I was able to catch her on film or digital.

Mia seemed to understand that it was my birthday though she would sometimes sing the song to herself or papa as well. Mia also spilled the beans as to what she "bought" me. I asked her what she got Mama and she said she bought a pillow. It really was a pillow, a body pillow. I also got a case for our camera from Papa. THANKS!

Here she is at Sushi O Sushi where we celebrated last night. She shoveled in a ton of tofu, rice and some chicken katsu.

Apple Does not Fall Far...

I am going to begin an ongoing series about how Mia is very much like her dear Papa. They have the same outgoing personality and loud voice.

Here are two recent examples of how nature is often stronger than nurture.

We were outside the Sunnyvale Public Library where there is a really neat statue of a man eating his lunch while reading. Mia has always been fascinated by the statue, but on this day she decided to pick his nose. Now if she had asked me for a tissue or Q-tip (we Q-tip her nostrils after bathing her) I'd say that nurture is stronger than nature in this case, but no, she went right up to the poor man and stuck her finger up his nose.


Next is a video of Mia enjoying bacon, a newfound treat for Mia. Her Papa loves Bacon with a passion.

Sticker for Mama

Yesterday I went to pee as I am accustomed to doing after getting out of bed. Mia was with me since she had gotten up thirty minutes earlier. Upon seeing me pee on the potty, she ran to her room and came back with a sticker which she put on the wall of our bathroom (this was a feat as she had to run down the hall and get up to her sink counter and find the stickers hidden behind a picture frame). Mia returned and said, "Sticker for Mama pee pee on potty". You see we've been trying to encourage using the toilet and Sesame Street stickers are the big incentive. I got a HUGE laugh out of it. Now if only she would actually pee into the toilet... We're going to get down and dirty in a month or two by rolling up the rug and putting her in big girl pants! Time to buy some Sesame Street undies for the girl.

I Created a Monster!

"No, different one!" (a general phrase used when Mia wants a different shirt, pants, socks, spoon, bowl, etc.)

"No, yi chi cereal" (translation: I don't want the cereal mixed together)

"No, he ma cup" (translation: I want the hippo cup)

"No, change diaper, later!" (she says while running away from me)

My little girl is turning into a major diva. Not sure that I can handle these constant changing demands and defiance with my fuse getting shorter and shorter each day. While it is nice to see that Mia is growing into her own person with her own ideas and preferences, it is also hard to give up the "control" I once had over her.

The girl wants to eat a little bit of three different cereals for breakfast and none of it can be in the same bowl. Because she was a picky eater, we gave her a variety of choices early on, but now I fear she's grown up with too many choices, so I need to put the kabash on her expectation that she can get anything she wants whenever she wants. Starting tomorrow morning, it's one cereal and that's that.

How is it that our best intentions as parents often go awry on us? How is it that instead of listening to me, I'm listening to her? Of course, we need to validate and listen to a child's feelings, but there is a limit and children need to be taught that they cannot always get their way, though at times it does seem to be the path of least resistance (read, whining and embarrassing public tantrums). Praying that I am not raising one of those girls seen on My Super Sweet Sixteen. Lord help me be strong!

Ticked!

Our car was hit while leaving Little Panda, Mia's Mandarin music class. I honked five times at this man, a senior citizen who probably should not be driving, but he still hit me. We're all okay, it was pretty minor, thank God!

The man did not answer me when I asked him at least three times if he had insurance after I yelled, "Did you not hear me beeping at you?" He just went to his car and put his head down like he was crying. Not a normal reaction for a parking lot fender bender. Given his reluctance to talk to me or share insurance info over a minor accident, I assumed this was not his first incident of late. Since he's decided to not talk to me, I think he might not understand English perhaps? I call the PO-lice. Never called 911 before. So FYI, if you call 911 on your cell, it really goes to the closest dispatch.

Before they arrive, I try to keep Mia busy with a snack and then try to talk to him again and find that he speaks perfect English. He tells me he's 72 and doesn't want trouble. He's still reluctant to give up his insurance information. Then I spot the cop car and wave him over to us and tell him that I called the police. He looks at me and asks, "why are you making trouble for me?" At the time I felt sorry for him because he had been crying, but now, I'm just pissed because he's the one that hit me! For all I know he's hard of hearing that is why he didn't hear the honking!

So I tell him I called the cops because he wasn't answering my question about insurance so I wanted to make sure there was a record of the incident. That's when he says he only put his head down because he was dizzy! I told him he shouldn't be driving. In the end all the officer did was make sure we exchanged info. The officer said he could not make a report because the incident happened on private property. I didn't realize the Sunnyvale Parks and Rec complex is private property. Whatever!

Anyhow, the man asked that we take care of it among ourselves and at the time I thought I would do that for him because it really looks pretty minor and because it turns out he's Korean and I feel sorry for him. But the more I think about it, I think I need to keep him from getting behind the wheel of a car. Do you think I should report it to his insurance regardless of my agreement with him to take care of it ourselves? What a headache.

Toddler Trouble

Sorry for the lag in posting. Been a rough month with nausea and fatigue, but am happy to announce that we are expecting a baby in September! Such a blessing that it took almost no time at all this time around. We were prepared for another long wait. The little kumquat is barely 11 weeks old, but given my constant nausea and occasional vomiting, I'm pretty sure it's sticking around. Luckily no bleeding this time. Hurray!

Being pregnant the second time around is much harder because of the energy requirements necessary for keeping up with a little one. No more lounging around without interruption or carefree naps. Forget about wandering malls and baby stores to admire cute itty bitty baby clothing and accessories. So enjoy those first pregnancies ladies because changing a poopy diaper while nauseous is no fun.

Mia is much more demanding and assertive these days. Most days, I lie on the couch a lot when we are home from Mia's activities (which takes all I have to drag us to) and she has learned to say, Mama bu shu fu (Mama's not feeling well) and Mama xiu xi (Mama's resting). I hate to do it, but thanks to On Demand, she's watched a lot of Caillou and Sesame Street these days. Thankfully she never zones in front of the TV, just looks up when something is interesting. Anyone seen Ni Hao Kai Lan, tauted as the Chinese Dora the Explorer? What's up with the huge eyes on the Chinese girl? Mia does not care for the show.

Dressing Mia has been a challenge in the mornings as she wants to pick out her clothes and is particular about what she wears. Mostly it's a comfort issue when it comes to pants, she does not appear to like the way jeans and khaki type fabrics feel. She only likes cotton leggings or cotton jersey type material for her pants. For sweaters or a sweatshirt(which are still needed here in CA) she likes the ones with pockets. As for shirts, she prefers the ones purchased by people she likes, like the Elmo shirt from Sarah A Yi or the shirt with a heart on it from Pua Pua. Odd, maybe those are the only ones she has words for, but when I open the drawers, those are the ones she looks for. Some days, I wrestle an outfit on her that I want her to wear and all the while she yells, "NO THANK YOU". I'm utterly exhausted afterwards, so it's probably not worth it anymore, but don't want her to think she rules me.

Kona and Mia, Best Buds

Kona is alive and well. I realize that I've failed to write about my beloved first baby. She's still the sweetest thing around, always curling up by me for a snuggle or pet. Mia always asks if Kona can come when we are about to go somewhere or when we will walk Kona, but I can't say she is always loving towards Kona. She uses Kona as a distraction tool when she's in trouble.

Kona had an accident in the house a couple of weeks ago (rare occurrence) and when Mia gets into trouble, she will say, "Kona house pee pee NO!" How did this girl learn how to deflect like this? I feel badly that she is scolding Kona about accidentally peeing in the house as we are trying to potty train Mia. I hate for her to think that it's bad for her to pee in the house. My response is always something like, Kona made a mistake, she had an accident, it's okay. Then I try to explain that dogs do their business outside and that people do it in the toilet or little ones do it in their diapers. Hope it sinks in.

Since I'm usually at home, I take Mia with me everywhere and she is quite an astute observer and little consumer. She likes to play shopping with all the empty food boxes I've given her to load in her Little Tikes shopping cart. When she asks to eat something and my response is, "We don't have any today," Mia will say, "Mama buy some" or "Mama go Whole Foods". She never says, "Mama go Safeway!" where we do shop quite often.

Poo-Poo in Potty!

Mia has pooped in the potty about five times now, but some days she chooses to use her diaper or take a dump in the diaper right after we take her off the potty. We are excited at the prospect of getting her fully toilet trained, but it does take some patience as we've had to sit by her for some time. Mia likes to have company, this is a habit we have to nip in the bud as it isn't a cultural norm I'm aware of. The interesting thing is that she does not pee on the potty yet.

The sheer volume of a toddler's poop really surprises us. It's pretty much just as much and just as big in diameter as an adult's poop. One does not really appreciate the amount of poop when it's flattened in a diaper. Ken took a picture of Mia's most recent poop to send to his best buds as they are always talking poop and gross stuff. Boys! If you want to see it, just email me. You'll be amazed.

Reluctant Ballerina

Mia is not a complete girly girl, nor did I ever want her to be one. I've tried to avoid pink clothes though it is inevitable. She loves cars and trains and enjoys being active, but when a Saturday Gymnastics class was full, I was left with little option, but a pre-ballet class called, Me and My Shadow. The description said, dance attire and shoes required. So off we went to buy her a ballet outfit! I did not go for a super girly outfit though I must admit they are darling. The really cute ones with tutus or skirts attached to the leotard ran nearly forty dollars! I went for warmth and bought her a long-sleeved pink leotard that was a bargain at twenty dollars. I bought a 4-6 because the 2-3 fit Mia just right, she has a long torso I guess. The 4-6 is loose around the shoulder and the sleeves are long (get to that later) Mia herself picked out the nude colored ballet shoes over the white ones. Below is Mia doing a plie with her Papa's help.

During the class, which is Ken's thing to do with Mia, she just wanted me to be with her since it was a new environment, so I've been banned from future classes. Anyway, during the class, Mia did not seem very interested in doing the dance activities without prompting, but then again she was very distracted by her long sleeves which she kept pulling on to cover her hands. Then she would laugh and say, "funny!" I think she's going to get into lots of trouble in school for goofing off.

Only in Silicon Valley

Today I was walking Kona at one of Sunnyvale's lovely parks, Las Palmas. Mia was with our sit-and-play group (four moms, two stay, two go away for two hours to do whatever) so I took the opportunity to give Kona a much deserved LONG walk after days of shortened walks due to the wet weather.

Kona had a ball sniffing out where other dogs had been and being able to walk unhindered by a toddler's curiosity and short legs. Halfway through our walk, we came upon a homeless man sitting at a picnic table. I saw him from afar with his two shopping carts and the figure of a man clothed in many layers despite the 55 degree weather. I thought he was reading a magazine, but as we got closer, I saw that he was on a LAPTOP! It was hooked up to what looked like a small generator and some wireless cable contraption. I was amused.

For those interested it was an Acer laptop, not as expensive as others, still it must have taken a lot of change for the man to save up for that one. I was curious about what he was surfing, but could not get up the courage to walk behind him as the paved path was in front of him.

I'll have to go back to Las Palmas and see if he's there again.

Resolutions of 2008

My original top resolution was to wean Mia in order to help our chances of getting knocked up in 2008. But what I thought would be a major drama has been, well, less traumatic than I envisioned. Mia has not been that much of a diva in her demands for bu bu nai nai or mama nai nai. If she asks she understands the words, a little bit or yi dian dian. It helps that she is healthy for once and Ken was around to distract her. And with the help of Claritin and peppermint tea, I'm not feeling that uncomfortable. But I am sad, I feel like this is truly the end of an era. I am done nursing my first child. I want her to stay my baby forever as I have written about countless times in the past, but I really need to let her move on. Confirmation has come during meal times that weaning was the right thing to do though I often vacillated about it. My girl has been eating pretty well the last few days. Still not into the cow's milk (which was made for cows you know, but that's okay, I gotta get over it), but she has been eating more cheese and yogurt than she has in the past. The girl has not touched cheddar, which I love, in about 6 months, but she has recently been eating it. So now that my top resolution is pretty much taking care of itself, I was left with no goals for 2008.

I struggled with forming some meaningful resolutions. I would like to come up with resolutions that have lasting effects upon my life from this year forward. Is that possible? At first my list included mundane items including read more, watch less TV, diminish my yarn stash, worry less, organize the closets in the house (all dumping grounds for junk), put away Mia's old clothes and toys, organize photos (20 months of Mia photos sit in stacks), and other lame tasks. Not terribly deep, but I kept lingering on them and saw a theme emerge.

I figure all the "resolutions" that I initially penned on paper were probably a result of my subconscious or being married to Ken for nearly eight years. The man throws away stuff as if his life depends on it. There is still the dispute of where a lovely dress and red bathing suit of mine went after one of his cleaning frenzies early in our marriage. Ken's idea of cleaning is really about filling up a large trash bag, not about getting out the gloves and Pine Sol. But he has managed to accept that he cannot throw away my stuff and it has managed to keep the peace except on a few occasions when he was falsely accused of throwing away something I just had to find at that moment. So you see, he really is a patient man because he's married to a pack rat who misplaces things and falsely accuses him of crimes he did not commit, except for that one incident when he thought the items in a bag were trash, when in actuality the bag contained a dress and bathing suit that needed to be washed. Bygones. I should not bear grudges, but that's another resolution for another year. Maybe 2009.

So I will offer a global resolution of living simply in 2008. But what are the practical applications, I was after all an external evaluator at one time. What does living simply really mean? What are the actionable items? How will living simply be measured? Can it be measured? There's living simply on a very practical level, then there's living simply as a way of life. How does one score a way of life?

Well, I've already cleaned out my closet. Satisfactory. Parted with age old articles of clothing that I could not even part with six months ago while packing to leave Seattle. Exemplary for giving up the sentimental? I do believe Americans have way too much stuff, myself included. There are people who live with the clothes on their backs, children who have never had their own clothes, only hand-me downs, and how many rolls of Christmas wrap do I really need? I was at Target today--yes, I just wrote about living simply, yet I was shopping--and I saw that Christmas items are now 90% off. I can't resist such a bargain, but you see, I turned a new leaf and remembered the six unopened rolls of wrap that I bought the previous week. Nevermind that those were only 50% off and these are 90% off, I had plenty at home, so I steered the cart away from the Christmas section. Exemplary for just saying no?

You see, I had already given myself a talk before entering Target with Mia. I said, to myself we are only there to get tools to better organize our family room and Mia's garments that could clothe an orphanage in China. So we bought a four drawer plastic rolling cart for Mia's toys (we have an art drawer, a puzzle drawer, a music related drawer, and a miscellaneous drawer), but the 70 quart plastic tubs (also on sale this week, because Target knows how to appeal to the likes of us who love a new year to kick our butts into getting organized or making the motion of getting organized, seriously, i wonder how many plastic tubs and organization tools will be collecting dust and housing clutter in the months to come) would not fit into the shopping cart along with the drawer thing and Mia. At first, I planned on going back to get the tubs later this week, but now I'm rethinking that. Do I really need to store two 70 quart containers (yes, 140 quarts of consumerism) of Mia's toys and clothes? Dare I part with them? But they are so cute, many items were gifts, I love to picture Mia when she was wearing them or playing with them, what if I have another girl?

I realize that it's not possible to measure if one has truly lived simply in this lifetime. It's something that goes beyond a superficial action and is between you and God. So in trying to live simply in 2008, I hope to be more than superficial. This resolution won't be as easy as weaning Mia.

Of course, I can't help but to have some other minor resolutions that are well, quantifiable.

1. Read at least one book a month. Easy given that I am in a book club, but sometimes I go without having finished the book.
2. Make Mia at least one knitted item by June 2008, eyeing a pattern for a ballerina sweater since she is starting a pre-ballet class.
3. Try to read at least one book of the Bible each month. I'm not ambitious enough to commit to the whole Bible.
4. Waste less food, a subset of living simply I suppose. Eat what we have in the fridge and try not to throw away produce.
5. Go for a family hike at least once a month.
6. Walk to the farmer's market on Saturdays instead of driving, if weather permits.
7. Learn more Mandarin as I've probably taught Mia everything I know already.
8. Write at least one blog entry a week.

I think I'll end it there for now.

And the Lies Begin

We are all born with sinful nature, but I did not expect to see that in my daughter so soon. We made a foam ornament together at a church event, Mia took it off the tree and was playing with it. No big deal, the tree was not off limits to her. She managed to break the arms glued onto the Polar Bear. Again, no big deal. She did not mean to break it.

But I casually asked her, "Mia did you break the ornament?" This is the rest of the conversation.

Mia: No, no, no
Mama: Are you sure? Did you break the bear?
Mia: Kona break it
Mama: No, Kona did not break it
Mia: Papa break it
Mama: No, Papa did not break it. Mia broke it!
Mia: Xiong Xiong break it?
Mama: No, Mia! It's okay that you broke it, just tell me.

Then we were done and she was off to something else.

I kept thinking back to how she learned to lie. I believe it was because a couple of days prior to the aforementioned incident, I got mad at her for throwing down her water bottle and breaking the cover of the spout. She threw the bottle down because she was mad and did not want to get into the car. But I focused on the result: the broken bottle, not her action of throwing the bottle. I told her she broke it and that she was not being good. She kept saying through tears "Mama xiu" then moving to English, "Mama fig it" (Mama fix it). So thats how she learned that Mama is not happy when she breaks things.

The other thing Mia has been doing that irks me is she tells me, "Mama Bye!" and she does not mean bye in the traditional sense. She says this emphatically when I tell her to do something she does not want to do, so basically, she wants me to disappear so that she can continue on her merry way. But as with typical toddlers, if I really leave, she will say, "More mama." But those words to not make me feel better. I wish she would always want me around, but these are pointless desires as she grows older. I need to come to terms teaching her how to be a positive member of this world so that she can leave me to participate in it.