Parallel Universe

My sister and I used to ask each other what we thought our life would be like if we were in a parallel universe. I used to joke with her that I would have been a rock star or a songwriter or something of that sort. She would then tell me what she would have been in a parallel universe (I won't tell you what that was...you can ask her yourself).

The other day I was thinking about this question again, and you know what I came up with this time? A paper sculptor. I know! You're thinking, "what in the world!?! (or possibly, "what a dork!")", right? But I realize that I really like paper. It's just a piece of paper, but it can become all sorts of things...cards, sculptures, books, origami, etc...Paper can be quilled, folded, ripped, dyed, shredded...Paper is just so much fun! Hee hee...but yeah, keep in mind I'm still talking about a parallel universe here. :)

So how about you? What would you be doing in a parallel universe?

Mother's Day Weekend

This past weekend we flew to visit all the grandparents. Remember how worried I was about Bear's first plane trip? Well, here she is after getting off the plane.



No sign of unhappiness at all. The only problem was that her mommy got a little queasy on the flight home. Bear Cub got compliments all around from nearby passengers on how "good" she was. Figures. I worry over things that needn't be worried about.

On to Mother's Day weekend...

My sister (with the help of her sous-chefs) made a wonderful brunch...very fancy shmancy...Bear practically ate half of the baked brie on her own. Pictured here are the yummy apricot tarts.



Bear spent her whole weekend traveling up the stairs at her grandma and grandpa's house.



When she wasn't traveling upstairs, she was following her grandpa around saying "pa-pa" or opening and closing the door saying "doh!"

The funny thing was that I forgot that I was a mother, too. Whenever someone wished me a "Happy Mother's Day" I thought they were talking to someone else at first. Ha ha. I guess even after 2 Mother's Days, I still haven't quite gotten used to being "mommy."

Hope all of you out there had wonderful Mother's Days, too.

Fear of Flying

The title should read "Fear of Flying with a Toddler."

We haven't taken Bear on a plane ride yet. This Friday will be the first time. We're a little wary. Of course, I shouldn't worry too much seeing how most of my fears in the past were abated because of our worry-free, happy-go-lucky child...but nevertheless, I worry.

I don't do well on planes. Never have. My mom tells me horror stories of my plane rides. I remember living some of those horror stories. I must have had terribly bad inner ears, because I could not stand the pressure change going up and down on the plane. Add on top how easily I succumb to motion sickness, and plane rides were never easy.

But so far, Bear has proven that although she may look a lot like me, she doesn't act a whole lot like me (and we're still trying to figure out who she does act like). I am an introvert. She is a total extrovert. She loves pink, fluffy things. I don't really enjoy pink & fluffy too much. She loves putting on jewelry and socks and carrying purses. I just don't have that knack for accesorizing.

So perhaps she'll be just fine on the plane...she'll eat snacks, drink some juice, make friends with the rows of people around her, and arrive at our destination happily...and I'll have worried for nothing.

Toddler Strategy

Matt and I have been more and more tired these days. Raising a toddler sometimes feels like you are raising a herd of wild animals. But not just any wild animals...wild animals who strategize and game plan. We've come to familiarize ourselves with some of Bear's tactics.

The Bait & Switch: Once bathtime is over, we have a toddler who does not want to come out of the tub. Her tactic, when we reach in, she quickly pulls the switcheroo by grabbing our hands and pushing a rubber ducky in instead.

Misdirection: Bear knows which household items she shouldn't play with (namely: the bathroom cabinets). Her strategy is to point us towards her room as if she wants to play there. Once we enter, she asks us to retrieve an item. Once our back is turned, she makes a beeline for the bathroom cabinets. Tricky.

Misinformation: This is similar to misdirection, except it involves the phone. Bear hands me the phone, cries out "Da Dee" (yes, she finally started calling daddy something other than his first name). After asking about 10 times, I call Matt, but by the time Matt answers, Bear is halfway across the apartment making mischief. And I feel like a sucker.

Emotional Manipulation: I don't know how she does it, but this kid can get about anything she wants. She seems to know the right emotion to "act" for each person she comes in contact with. With "Da Dee" she gives him the "oh-so-cute" smile and giggles, races up to the door to greet him when he comes home, and promptly will ask him for something that I just told her "no" to about 5 minutes ago. With Auntie R, she is utterly persistent. She will repeat herself over and over again, until Auntie finally gives in. With Granny, she gives the hugs and kisses - and somehow Granny always seems to show up with little gifts for her. With Grandma & Grandpa, she does the "fake cry" whereupon Grandma & Grandpa will instantly swipe her out of our hands to comfort her and give her whatever she wants. Even with the general public, she pretends to be shy and gives this mischievous smile, shows them Sonja, and says, "Doh Dya"...and I always hear how "she's such an angel"...And somehow she works her charm and by the time we leave a restaurant, all the surrounding tables are waving and saying goodbye to Bear (seriously! It happens all the time!).

So beware, take heed and don't fall for her "evil genius" strategies. And if you are one of those out there who have been victimized by Bear's charisma and charm, we sympathize with you for being duped by our toddler...If you haven't yet...uh, don't say we didn't warn you.

Boo!

I haven't posted much in the past couple of days because our family has been under the weather. Baby Bear, who got the bug first and therefore is recovering first, has been running around our apartment as she pleases (sometimes you lose the will to parent when your head feels like it's going to implode). I was sofa-bound. Sitting or standing was dizzying for a couple of days there. I've been feeling better, but sometimes I still have to sit down for a spell.

Today she meandered over to the kitchen, played with some of the plasticware and returned to where I was sitting, pointed to her diaper and said, "Boo!"

I thought Nah, she couldn't be telling me...

So I changed her diaper, and sure enough she had "Boo."

I told my mom what happened. She replied, "That means it's time to start thinking about potty training."

What?! Oh "Boo."

Yogurt

I admit it. I let Bear feed herself most of the time. I realize that it usually means there will be a horrible mess to clean up, but I figure that she's going to have to learn sometime. Although I guess it might have gotten a little out of hand today.



I gave her a bowl of yogurt, a spoon, and a couple of graham crackers. This is what resulted. I'm guessing the yogurt exploded.

Turmoil...

I had to turn off the television. Every news channel has this story plastered all over. It's weird because the other day when Matt and I were watching The @pprentice I was commenting on how Asians were starting to appear more mainstream on television. I guess that has to include the bad news, too.

So I turned off the television because I couldn't watch anymore. And I heard yelling outside our door and our window. Van man has been asked to leave quite a few times. Our building manager has come to talk to him. His ex has come over and yelled at him a few times (of which he responded with a few expletives). His sister came over and yelled at him (of which he responded with a few expletives). A guy friend of his ex has come and had discussions with him. Seriously, I'm not eavesdropping...they're just that loud. I try to ignore it, but when they're yelling right outside your doors and windows, it's hard to tune out. At present, he is yelling at someone...I don't know who.

So I turned the television back on. Maybe I'll find some old Cosby show reruns.

Tidbits...

I realize that I haven't been posting as much as I would like to. For those of you faithful readers out there, I'm sure that you're bored seeing the same thing on our site day after day. I just don't like writing any old thing...I strive to have purpose and thoughtfulness in my writings. Unfortunately, today is not one of those days. Here are some tidbits...

CRAFTSY

Lately I've been finding myself being "craftsy." In some ways it's a release for me. After running after a toddler all day, I find I have this need to create...so lately, I've been knitting, sewing, papercrafting, cooking, etc. I probably would be playing my guitar as well if it wouldn't wake up Baby Bear. I know it's not that out of character for me (for those of you who do know me), but seriously I actually recovered a chair. I crocheted a small hammock so I could hang up all of Bear's stuffed toys. I knit a dress for Baby Bear, and I'm considering creating a wall hanging for Bear's room. Perhaps I've finally gone insane.

NOT SO BABY BEAR

Baby Bear is no longer a "Baby." I'll probably have to start referring to her as "Bear Cub" or just plain "Bear." She's toddling around, talking up a storm (of which we understand a quarter of it), and asserting her independence here and there. I catch Matt every so often looking at Bear and saying, "She's not a baby anymore," with a sad look in his eye. *Sigh*

TODDLER TRAUMA

Last week Bear had a traumatic experience. We were in a parking lot when Bear lost her grip on Sonia. Sonia fell flat on her back into a mud puddle. Bear just looked at her muddy Sonia and started crying. Matt took the doll inside to wash her off, but as she was still dirty, we couldn't return Sonia to Bear. So the whole car ride home she cried, intermittently shouting out, "Doh-Dya!, Doh-Dya!" Poor kid. So needless to say we did some laundry that afternoon, and by bedtime Sonia was back into Bear's waiting little arms...

Neighbors...

I have these faint memories of the couple who lived next door to us as I was growing up. They were nice, helpful, and hospitable. I remember their little fluffy dog named Muffin. I also remember their garden, of which my sister and I would water when they were away.

Ah, how I miss them...

We've had interesting neighbors come and go from our complex. There were the twenty-something musician types who changed their apartment number from "6" to three 6s. There was the guy above us who was an in-home tattoo artist who had visitors at all hours of the night, plus two large dogs. We have the family across the way who barbecues and invite extended family to eat with them on cardtables in the driveway (wouldn't be a problem if the smoke wasn't flooding into our apartment). But I think our most recent addition is by far the oddest.

Currently I'm having an allergic reaction to incense. This neighbor apparently received a large package of incense, and although it's put away, our whole complex smells like sandalwood. Yuck. Our livingroom smells like aromatherapy gone wrong. Even with our windows and doors closed, the aroma has wafted it's way into our home seeping into everything we own.

This same neighbor is also living in his van in the garage. We suspect that "he's in the doghouse." I haven't seen hide nor hair of his pregnant girlfriend or 3 year old son in the past few days.

A couple of nights ago, there were these strange noises coming from the direction of his van. It sounded like a loud radio being turned on every once in while. We found out that he's putting together a studio in his van (although I'm not sure what that means). He has a cable line running into the van from upstairs as well as a power cable running out of the van.

Our other neighbors have called the police on him twice. We only know this because the "van man" asked Matt if he was the one to call the police.

Every time we leave our apartment he's out there, hanging by his van, eating his meals by the dumpster, pacing up and down our driveway, yelling at the handyman who is fixing the 2 empty apartments...

At this rate, there will be 3 empty apartments.

Snow Day

This past weekend we took a little family outing to the snow. I was so excited to take Baby Bear to play in the snow...It wasn't too cold outside, so we made sure to put on some mittens and a jacket. When we placed her down to walk in the snow, she promptly started crying. Then she tried to take a step, but ended up falling. When she had pulled herself up again, her mittens were covered with snow. When she cries she tends to rub her face...so poor kid got another surprise when she felt that cold snow against her face. Needless to say, she wasn't too happy with the snow.

So we let her carry Sonja...and she seemed a little bit happier. She wouldn't walk around though, she just stood in one spot.



Perhaps she'll have more fun next season.

Dolly...er Baby Bear

Matt claims that Baby Bear is my clone. I keep reminding him that I am physically unable to just spawn another human being on my own. He likes to joke that the genes from my side of the family are just too dominating. What do you think?





Uh, if you can't tell, I'm the baby on the top and Baby Bear is the cutie on the bottom.

Prunes

"Baby Bear, it's time to come out of the bathtub."

"Moe." (translation: no)

"You've been in there for twenty minutes now. It's time to come out."

"Duhk!"

"Yes, you have a duck. You can take it with you, but it's time to come out of the bath."

"Moe."

"All right, but I bet your feet are prunes now."

Unburdening

It's amazing how much stuff you can acquire in 30 years. These days I've been going through a "cleansing" process, I guess you can say. After years of being a packrat, I suddenly decided that it was time to throw everything away. I'm not sure what prompted it, but one day I noticed that we just had too much stuff. I felt like the masses of acquired goods were suffocating me.

I've always been a believer in simplifying to live a well-ordered lifestyle, but you wouldn't know it if you looked at our apartment. Perhaps sentimentality had a play in the increasing clutter - "I can't throw it away because so-and-so gave it to me." The future unknowns also had it's hand - "I might use this someday so I better not get rid of it." Or perhaps it was just flat out materialism. Who knows?

So little by little I'm throwing away, donating and questioning the use of objects in our home, and in a way it's helping to unburden my soul. The more objects I toss, the lighter I feel. It's wonderful.

Although, looking around our place I see it still looks horrible, but hey, at least I feel better about it.

Nya-Nya

Meet Sonja. She's less than a foot tall, blond haired, blue eyed, loves to wear flowers in her hair, and always has a smile on her face. Her cheery disposition never wanes even though she looks weathered and worn. She has braved trips through the washer and dryer several times in her short lifetime. She is also well traveled as the constant companion to a one-year old.

It's funny how Baby Bear interacts with her. Baby Bear's actions tell me how much she loves Sonja. For example, I catch Baby Bear often feeding her Cheerios and water. She holds the food/cup to her mouth saying, "nyum nyum nyum."

Sonja's place of honor is always beside Baby Bear whether in the car seat, stroller or highchair. Bear wouldn't have it any other way. Traveling without Sonja is preposterous.

Baby Bear isn't walking yet, but it's still important for her to take Sonja along despite lack of a free hand to carry her. She grabs Sonja with her teeth like a mother lion carries her cub and crawls to her next location.

Sometimes Baby Bear will wail loudly after naps. When I enter her room she has tears running down her face and points to the space between the crib and the wall crying out, "ma ma, nya nya!" I must then save Sonja from the dark spaces where she has fallen.

Sonja is the last thing she sees before falling asleep and the first thing she grabs for when she wakes up. Baby Bear cares for Sonja with tenderness and affection that makes me smile whenever I see it.

Even a one-year old needs a best friend.

inglês por favor

I was 12 when we got cable television in our house. It was the same week when my mom, my sis, and I all had chicken pox. So I guess you can say that thanks to the chicken pox, my mom broke down and got us cable.

One day our cable went on the blitz. We couldn't figure out what went wrong and neither could the customer service rep on the phone. We had snow on all of our channels except for 2-3 of them. This lasted for a few days until a serviceman could arrive to fix the problem. They believed it was some sort of wiring problem.

Uh, no. It turns out that my brother (1.5 years old at the time) managed to password protect and block most of the channels. All the serviceman had to do was reset the password and all was good again.

We still don't know how he did it. We didn't even know our cable box had that kind of capability.

Yesterday, I opened my Netfl1x movie, popped The Lakehouse into my DVD player and realized that I couldn't understand a thing. I changed the subtitle from "espanhol" to "frances" and then to "ingles" and thought, "Hmmm...that can't be right?" Then I started hitting random buttons and I got, "operação proibida atualmente pelo disco."

Baby Bear somehow changed the language of our DVD player to Portuguese. Matt and I are still scratching our heads because once we found the DVD instruction manual, it was a 10-step process to change everything back to English.

Kids are amazing.

The Real Baby Bear

This is the real Baby Bear:



Our Bear is quite the expressive one. She's not even really that sad...she just happened to not get what she wanted.

Typical toddler behavior has appeared. Beware.

Celebrations!

Our Baby Bear truly is a lucky one.

At 100 days old she got to celebrate her baekil Her Granny came over and brought her some white Korean rice cakes to toast the occasion.

At the age of 3 months old she had a Red Egg and Ginger Party thrown just for her. Baby Bear got to celebrate life and she even received her Chinese name.

Now at 1 year, she gets yet another celebration. Lucky girl!



She loves fish, so just for her, Auntie made her these cellophane fish which hung from balloons all around the room. Granny made sure there were lots of balloons to create an ocean just for Baby Bear.



She got all dressed up in her hanbok and participated in her dohl jabi. (Not sure what that is? You can read about it here) Baby Bear picked up a paintbrush, waved it around, then handed it to mom. Afterwards she played with the rice a little bit.



There was cake. Oh boy, was there cake. Just for Baby Bear, Nemo and Dory were affixed on a beautiful blue cake.



Here's to the next celebration!

The Holidays (By Baby Bear)

A couple of weeks ago my mommy and daddy threw all my belongings in the car, strapped me into my carseat where I was trapped for 7 hours! They only let me out when I needed to eat or have my diaper changed.

After our car trip, I met these nice people who said their names were "grandma" and "grandpa." They fed me good food. All I had to do was say "more" and I got whatever I wanted.

Christmas? What is Christmas? Everyone kept saying that it was my first Christmas, but I still have no idea what that is. I guess that's okay. I got lots of presents, and mommy and daddy even told me it was okay to rip the paper on the presents. The paper was fun! And the ribbons! Wow! I think there was something inside, but I didn't really know what to do with it.



See, here I am confused. My Uncle gave me something that everyone said was really neat, but sheesh, it's just a box.

I loved all the attention! I didn't have to crawl anywhere...All I had to do was pretend to cry and hold out my arms and I got a free ride. Other times I would just point and say "Bah" and people would give me food, drinks, or toys. It was fabulous!

My favorite part of the week was when mommy and daddy took me to the park. It was cold outside, but I got to see ducks! If you know me, you know that I love ducks! Daddy kept saying something about geese, but whatever...they're ducks. I also got to see a really small dog. Mommy said something about a squirrel, but whatever...My parents are so silly.



Alas, the week came to an end and mommy and daddy shoved me back in the carseat again. But at least my pink pony got to ride shotgun! Daddy was happy to have company in the front seat, because mommy sat in the back with me. I made sure that she wasn't bored by telling her to feed me and entertain me the whole way. Aren't I nice?

I had fun, but it was good to come home and sleep in my own bed.

A Week of Firsts...

For the week between Christmas and New Years Eve, we were visiting my in-laws. I call it a week of firsts...Here we go!

1) Baby Bear's 1st Christmas - She just missed last Christmas by 12 hours.
2) My 1st whole week at the in-laws - I got to see more of why padawanlee is the way he is...(I mean all good things, of course)
3) Baby Bear's 1st Birthday - Yay!
4) Baby Bear's 1st bite of cake - Tiramisu cake - yum!
5) Baby Bear's 1st bump on the noggin - she fell off her new toy car, cried, but was soon appeased with another toy
6) My 1st ride in a Porsche - Padawanlee was driving, I was closing my eyes and holding on tight.
7) Baby Bear's 1st Stuffed Animal that is larger than she is - Er, it's a 4 foot stuffed pink pony. Try to imagine driving 7 hours in the car with that thing in the front passenger seat (Carpool lane anyone?).
8) Baby Bear's 1st (and hopefully last) Stomach Bug - Yuck! She promptly passed it on to her dad, her grandma & grandpa (and upon returning home - her auntie and her granny).

Needless to say it was a busy week. Pictures to come soon...

Oh, 2006...where did you go?

Did anyone else feel like 2006 went by in a blur? I sure do.

I am stunned at how quickly this past year flew for me. It behooves me that I can't even remember how I rang in 2006. Seriously, I can't remember what we did to celebrate New Years a year ago. All I know is that we had a less-than-a-week old baby at the time.

But a year has now gone by and we have a one-year old baby bear.

We've gone from this:



To this:



Wow. What a trip.