By Julie

I've been home for over two months and blogging less than ever, not that there's nothing to blog about but because blogging was in part stress relief for me, and right now even with all the work-related projects I'm trying to finish over the summer I have little to be stressed about. Plus I've been doing a lot of introspection, which by its very nature is more intimate dinner conversation and less "Hello Internet!"

Maybe that's why I don't get Twitter right now. On the other hand, I've been trying to get Twitter ever since Evan Williams announced his new venture and opened it up to beta testers. I immediately grasped the conversational aspect of the party badge, which displays tweets from you and all your friends - and which I used to document conversations between me and the kids for public amusement - and I loved the update-via-IM feature. But both the party badge and IM updates have been broken for a long time now, and I have no desire to share my cell phone number with Twitter in order to update via SMS. I have updated a couple of times via the Pageflakes Twitter plug-in, but those tweets were never conversational. They were more like mini blog entries in that they linked to whatever I found amusing on the Internet at that moment.

One thing I do know is that the 21st century man of mystery does NOT use Twitter. Imagine James Bond broadcasting his martini preferences to the world... hahaha, so not happening. Even more damning is the fact that everybody I know in real life who uses Twitter has locked up their account. Nobody needs that much transparency.

With all three kids home with me for the summer, simple things like feeding and grooming can easily take up much of the day. I consider myself having gone beyond the call of duty if I manage to get the lunch dishes into the dishwasher before Kevin gets home in the evening. On top of that I've been giving Alex and Ana Chinese homework everyday. So far they've learned numbers (一, 二, 三 ... 十, etc.) and family members (爸爸, 妈妈, 哥哥, 姐姐, etc.) as well as have/don't have and do you have (有没有弟弟? 没有! 有没有妹妹? 有!).

Kevin has been busy too. When he isn't at work, he's going to the store for groceries or doing chores around the house. On weekends he takes Alex to karate and both Alex and Ana to swim at Grandma's house. He's also in charge of taking Alex to percussion lessons. It's just for the summer, a break from piano and possibly early preparation for 4th grade band.

In between all that I've found time to make the most of our Netflix subscription:

Labels: chinese, memes, movies, parenting

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By Julie

This weekend was Ana's birthday party. Friday night when we went to Costco to pick up her birthday cake, we stopped at a Taiwanese cafe called 三年２班 (Class 302) in Rowland Heights for dinner. It's an adorable little place decorated with school paraphernalia, down to the desks and chairs. One of the dishes we ordered even came in a stackable tin lunch box that I recognized from having spent some of my elementary school years in Taiwan. The food, though not the cheapest, was pretty good, but I didn't like sitting in those awkward wooden chairs. Maybe we can go back when I'm not so uncomfortably pregnant.


This year we rented facilities for both of the kids' birthdays because I got tired of worrying about it raining on their winter parties and because I'm too big and tired to host them at home. There are some downsides: the limited menus, the strict time limits, the restrictions on the number of guests, and related to that, the uncertainty over whether the people we do invite will come. I was utterly thrilled about the turnout at Ana's party though, especially when Peg brought Ashlyn and Summer!!! It's been ages since we've hung out with them, and I really appreciated them making the drive up from the OC.

Now we can relax until next year. With baby number 3 slated to show in late April, I wonder if we should have a joint birthday party at home for all three of them next spring, when the chance of rain is next to nil here in So Cal. We'll see...


Here's a picture of Kevin giving Daisy a bath. Being a straight haired dog, Daisy always looks pretty good even when she hasn't had a bath in *mumble mumble* months. What most people don't realize is how much basset hounds shed. Back in the day I used to be the main producer of the hairy tumbleweeds that we find around the house, but ever since Daisy joined the family, she's got me beat. We'd been wondering if she's been shedding even more due to lack of baths, but she proved that theory wrong. Immediately after her bath she shed enough hair to fill a Swiffer Cloth just by doing a few laps around the dining table.

So I'm now 31 weeks pregnant and +18 lbs. Only 9 weeks left, but it feels like an eternity. The bad: I've been sleeping very, very poorly. It's supposed to be normal during the 3rd trimester, but the last two times it didn't start this early. I'm also constantly congested, and my taste buds seem to have a mind of their own. Everything tastes off. The good: I've been keeping the horrid leg cramps at bay just by standing up regularly. Also, at my checkup last week I learned that my 3-hour glucose tolerance test came back negative. Hooray, I'm not diabetic!

Labels: chinese, food, kids, parenting, pets, pregnancy

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By Julie

This is how my new year is going so far. Friday after work I staggered home and collapsed on the couch. I didn't move again until bedtime, when I took massive doses of Sudafed, Robitussin DM, and Tylenol, then zonked out. I don't remember eating anything for dinner.

Saturday morning I woke up and still had no appetite. I forced myself to eat a piece of toast with peanut butter then lay on the couch until it was time to collect ourselves and go over to my parents' house for Chinese New Year dinner.



We took the combination hot pot/grill that my parents had given us for Christmas over to their house so we could use the grill feature alongside their hot pot. Unfortunately I couldn't eat anything, but I did drink a bowl of soup.

This morning I had another piece of toast with peanut butter. After dropping off the kids at my parents' house, we headed downtown for a matinee showing of Tristan und Isolde, Wagner's 5-hour operatic masterpiece. The tickets were part of our Valentine's Day gift to each other. It was the first time either of us had seen an opera live, and we both loved it. The music was complex and demanding, and the set, designed by David Hockney, was gorgeous. Unfortunately we had to leave before the final act because I was still feeling ill.

Since Thursday I've been waking up every night around 2 or 3 am when the drugs wear off, at which time I have to take another dose of everything or not be able to fall back asleep. I doubt it will be different tonight. Sigh. I just hope this time my cold doesn't turn into a sinus infection and also that Alex, as the lone healthy member of the family, doesn't catch it.

Needless to say I didn't have a chance to go buy 年糕 (nian gao / new year cake) from 99 Ranch this weekend. But I swear I WILL go sometime this week before they stop selling it, even if I'm still sick, just because I am that obsessive dedicated to celebrating my Chinese heritage.

Labels: art, chinese, food, meds

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By Julie

This morning I gave the kids each a 红包 (red envelope) after instructing them to say 恭喜發财 (gong xi fa cai / wishing you prosperity) and 新年快樂 (xin nian kuai le / happy new year). At daycare Ana's teacher gave her a 红包 and me another one to pass on to Alex. For dessert tonight I got us a few goodies from the Chinese bakery.

All day today my throat hurt and I kept coughing up loogies. This is probably not the best way to welcome the new year, but it couldn't be helped. First Kevin got sick. Then Ana caught it. After a couple of nights of her crawling into our bed and disrupting my sleep, I came down with it as well. Sigh.

At least it happened right at the same time as my monthly baby checkup. Today I was able to confirm with my doctor that I could take all the good stuff: Sudafed, Robitussin DM, Tylenol, etc. But I also got a stern lecture for asking whether I could skip the 3-hour glucose tolerance test. (Because I tested negative the last two pregnancies!!!) Oh well. It's not my fault the paperwork they sent me via USPS 2 weeks ago never arrived though. I picked up a copy today and made the appointment for next week.

Hopefully this weekend my cold will get better and we'll have time to go to 99 Ranch for some 年糕 (nian gao / new year cake).

Labels: chinese, food, meds, pregnancy

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By Julie

I started teaching the kids (and Kevin) Chinese over the weekend. They were such good students. We worked on numbers. I taught them 一 through 十二, then extrapolated from there. Here are a couple of the worksheets they completed:


This isn't among my new year's resolutions, but when I went back to work last week, I confessed to a friend that I desperately needed exercise after lazing around so much during winter break. Right then we made a pact to take regular breaks and go for walks together. It's been great. So far she's reminded me more often than I've reminded her.

Then suddenly over the weekend I had a horrific leg cramp. When I mentioned it during my OB appointment today, he said it's probably because I'm over-exerting myself and that I needed to take it easy. Um... okay.

Right now I'm at 24 weeks + 1 day. The baby is about a pound. I haven't weighed myself since the week after Christmas when I was at +10 lb. I've also been eating a lot of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Coincidence? Haha.

Labels: chinese, food, pregnancy

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By Julie

We rang in the new year quietly this year. Last new year we went to a Flaming Lips/Gnarls Barkley concert, and the year before that we drove down to San Diego to see Matisyahu. This year we had considered going to New York to enjoy the chaos in Times Square, but we changed our minds and opted for a quiet evening at home in our pajamas instead.

The latter actually fits in with one of my new year's resolutions. (No, it's not to Be More Boring, harhar.) Last year I dubbed one of my resolutions the PJ Resolution. Here's how I described it: "I've decided to spend as many of my waking hours during 2007 as possible wearing pajamas." The real goal being to get more sleep, of course.

I want to believe that I got more sleep in 2007 than I did in past years. At the least, wearing pajamas made me painfully aware of when I should have been in bed when I wasn't, so I'll count the PJ Resolution a partial success.


In anticipation of needing a lot of rest with baby #3 on the way, I've decided to keep this resolution for 2008. This adorable bathrobe Kevin gave me for Christmas should help with my resolve. It's very cozy, and I was told it's the same robe Brad Pitt wore in Fight Club. I haven't seen the movie or read the book though. Does anyone die in it?

Other goals for 2008:

• Parenting
  
• Teach the kids Chinese. I've bought the workbooks. Now all I need to do is schedule the time to work with them. Easier said than done.
• Finances
  
• Pay off as much of the bathroom as possible. We didn't go anywhere near the limit on our HELOC, but it's going to take a bit of work to pay off what we did spend.
  
• Home Improvement
• Finish the floors and kitchen. We already have all the flooring, just need to buy the moulding. Also need to buy the rest of the kitchen cabinets and countertops.
  
• Philosophy
• Strive towards a simpler life.

* Getting Things Done

Labels: chinese, famous people, home improvement, music

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By Julie

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays! This year we went over to my cousin Lynn and her hubby's house for Christmas potluck. I made green bean casserole and freshly baked rolls, Kevin made bow tie pasta with sausage, and the kids made chocolate cupcakes with green frosting and red/green sprinkles.


Here they are on Christmas Eve, each sampling a cupcake to make sure it tasted all right before taking them to the potluck the next day.


On Christmas morning we opened presents at home first. Kevin won Dad of the Year award with this gift for Alex, a Legend of Zelda edition gold Nintendo DS. Alex is being super careful with it and will be buying a protective case with his allowance soon.

Then we went over to Lynn's house. During Christmas dinner, Lynn offered me a beer. Kevin and I both gaped at her for a beat before she realized what she'd done.

"I totally forgot!" she laughed. "You're so small you don't even look pregnant."

Other than Kevin's daily reassurances, that was the nicest thing anyone has said to me since the start of this pregnancy. At the time I was 22 weeks and +9 lbs. I don't even want to know how much I weigh now.


The day after Christmas we hit a few after-Christmas sales. Got some cards, wrapping paper, and lights. We also stopped at Beard Papa's to enjoy their delicious cream puffs. Kevin had the chocolate, and I had the vanilla. Mmmm, good.


I was so inspired that a couple of days later I tried making cream puffs from scratch. Opened up Joy of Cooking and was delighted to find a recipe that didn't look too hard. The result was ugly but *dangerously* tasty. Kevin and I ended up devouring two whole batches by ourselves.


Let's see, other things we've been doing... Cleaned the house a bit. Donated several bags of clothes to get in the last tax deduction of the year. Most of the clothes were mine. I've held on to all of Alex and Ana's old baby clothes for obvious reasons. Now that I know we're having a girl, I'm waiting to see if my sister is having a boy before giving all of Alex's old clothes to my friend T, who's having a baby boy a few weeks after me. (Can you tell I can't wait to give them away? The amount of baby clothes clogging up our garage is just overwhelming.)

ADDED 01/02/08: Check out this NYT article, Tackling Clutter to Improve Your Health!

I'll blog about our day trip to Olvera Street/Chinatown and our new year's resolutions later.

* FYI, #2 comes on February 7th this year. It's going to be the Year of the Rat!

Labels: chinese, food, kids, pregnancy, toys

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By Julie

Lately Ana's two favorite activities have been playing with an educational math game that a well-meaning person got for Alex (he's never shown any interest in it) and cutting and gluing paper. Tonight, as I cut pictures of tomatoes, avocados, and cans of chili out of a grocery store ad for her, I idly wondered whether there was a more boring job than the poor graphic designer who had to find the right clip art for each week's specials, unless it's the poor photographer that had to make the clip art in the first place.

As Kevin got ready to take Daisy out for an evening walk, I reminded him to take a golf club.

Kevin: I think I should take a Mag Lite instead.

Me: Why?

K: Last night this woman crossed the street when she saw me coming with the golf club in one hand and the dog in the other. I look TOO well armed.

Me: Well, that's not a bad thing. Forearmed is forewarned... or something like that.

Alex told Kevin that he wanted to be able to take fried rice for lunch like his friend Leo, so we bought him an insulated lunch bag and some plastic containers to make it happen. I can't believe it wasn't that long ago when fried rice would have been the last thing I wanted to take for lunch because all the other kids would have pointed and said, "Eew, what's THAT???" It's not weird to be Chinese anymore, not at Alex's school anyway.

Update: Alex's friend Leo isn't Chinese. Fascinating.

Labels: chinese, kids, nablopomo, pets

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By Julie

Within a few years after Alex was born, I found a great coping mechanism that every parent should develop: I ceased to care what anybody had to say about my parenting decisions with the exception of three people -- my husband, Alex's teacher, and Alex's after school care provider.

Why I would listen to my husband is obvious. He's Alex's dad; of course his opinions are important. The other two people spend more time with Alex than anybody else during the week, including us, and they are most likely to notice things about him that we don't notice.

To me, time is of the essence. I think that adequately explains why no one else made the cut. As for why I think other parents should follow my lead, it's because there is no way to win the parenting game, so you might as well make up your own rules. If you still doubt me, consider this question: should kids take music lessons? How about participating in team sports? What about volunteering for good causes?

If you're anything like me, your head is reeling at this point, wondering what's up with all this over-scheduling and what ever happened to good ol' daydreaming. Yet there are many kids who successfully participate in two or three sports AND take music lessons AND participate in Boy Scouts AND turn out perfectly well adjusted. As their parents would say, the proof is in the pudding.

See, there's no cattier conversation than one between two people with differing parenting philosophies. You just don't want to go there.

Despite my very personal decision not to participate in the parenting game, I've nevertheless found myself on the receiving end of a lot of unwanted cattiness, like the one about which school is better, or the one about piano lessons, or how about the one about Chinese school? Sometimes I get it from people who don't even have kids. It would make no sense for childless people to have opinions about parenting except that they were kids at some point, so one would suppose they're entitled to have their opinions. Still, I resent it when they foist it on me. Last year when I missed a meeting and explained that I was attending an awards ceremony where Alex was receiving the Academic Excellence Award for his class, one childless person snidely commented, "Does that even mean anything in first grade?" In response, I smiled and said, "I don't know."

Labels: chinese, nablopomo, parenting

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