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.