4th of July

The first year we took Bear to see the fireworks, she fell asleep. This year, she excitedly yelled "Wow, that was a big one!" after every couple of fireworks.

The first year we took Chipmunk, he stared wide-eyed at the flickering lights while I covered his dainty five month old ears. This year he watched for about ten minutes then got bored and read his Thomas the Tank Engine book by the light of each pyrotechnic blast.

I see. I guess the Independence Day celebration just wasn't exciting enough to capture his attention. I just don't understand how he could pick cherries nonstop for three hours, but give up on twenty minutes of fireworks.



Oh well. Hope you all had wonderful 4th of July moments.

Hanging with the Fishes

I actually bought an annual pass to our local aquarium. At first I thought it was a bad idea, especially since the first time we managed to go, I spent the walk back to the car carrying a kicking and screaming 2 year old.

The next time we went, it was much better. Although we didn't get to all of the exhibits, it made the next ten months of having an annual pass not seem so daunting.



Maybe it was because we had friends to go with and extra time to run around the outdoor fountains. Whatever it was, I get the feeling that Chipmunk had a much better time on the second go.

Perhaps next time we'll get to hit up the otter exhibit.

Picking Cherries

"Pih-king Cheh-wreeeees...Pih-king Cheh-wreeees..."

Chipmunk wrote a little song this weekend that he sang for hours as he delightfully picked cherries.



It was delightfully fun watching him pick with such dedication. Speaking of which, I have never ever seen him so focused on one task for so long. He hopped around picking cherries for hours, only stopping to drink some water and brush the dirt off his hands. He even listened to directions when I told him not to eat them until we washed them later. Amazing.



Bear seemed to be having an equally good time. She danced around and "supervised" her brother's choices in which branches to pick. He didn't seem to mind. He just picked and continued to sing, "pih-king cheh-wreeeees!"



Before we knew it, we were dragging home bags and bags of cherries. Chipmunk didn't mind. He sat with his bowl of washed cherries and sang, "Eat-ing Cheh-wreees...Yum-my Cheh-wreeees!"

Mother's Day 2010

Sorry, this post is a bit delayed...I haven't really posted much lately. I hope the four of you who read this blog don't mind that it's a bit tardy.

For Mother's Day, we spent the day (and the next day as well) gallavanting through the "Happiest Place on Earth."



Chipmunk had fun with all the rides. Surprisingly, the wait time wasn't that bad.



The longest wait times involved meeting Fairies and Princesses (seriously, an hour and half to meet a princess?!?!)...which was deemed mandatory on Bear's to-do list.



I have to say, our kids were excited to meet all the over-sized characters...even Chipmunk.

Which was a vast improvement on an occasion two years ago...do you remember this debacle with over-sized theme park characters?



I guess two years makes a difference.

Trouble with Time

Matt went on a business trip for a couple of days to the east coast. So far, barring a few emotional outbursts, the three of us (Bear, Chipmunk, me) all seem to be surviving...which is always a good thing.

Last night Bear asked if we could call Matt, but I told her it was too late due to the time change.

"Time change?" she asked.

I explained as best as I could that where her dad was it was three hours later.

She scrunched up her face in obvious confusion.

"Can we call him three hours later?" she asked still with mental distress.

Again, I explained in as simple terms as possible that her dad was in another time zone and the time there was three hours later than it was here.

She just shrugged and then asked, "How did Daddy get three hours later? Daddy said he was going to Al-la-delf-ee-a (Philadelphia)."

So now she has this strange concept that her dad traveled through time in an H.G. Wells sort of way. Ooops.

Happy belated Father's Day to all you time-traveling dads out there.

The Spill

It happened in a second. Our daughter was standing there on the dining room chair trying to entertain us with her antics and the next thing we see is her arms and legs flailing towards the floor. She hit the carpeted floor, bounded back up and said, "I'm okay." Then we, the witnesses to the debacle, all heaved a sigh of relief...except for Chipmunk. The serious look he had in his eye was all concern as he proclaimed, "Oh no...Choc-yat mick (Chocolate milk)!" Apparently he was more concerned for the box of chocolate milk that Bear managed to tip over in her tumble to the ground rather than for his sister. It wasn't until we righted that box of chocolate milk that Chipmunk finally heaved his sigh of relief and smiled to let us know that all was right with the world again.

SGFWWLTHTS2

S = Support
G = Group
F = For
W = Women
W = Who
L = Lost
T = Their
H = Husbands (Sig Others)
T = To
S2 = Starcraft 2

Apparently we need to start this come July 27th.

Sigh.

Two Peas, One Pod

I've been joking lately that having Chipmunk made us realize just how spoiled we were with Bear. I shouldn't say that. Chipmunk is a good kid, too. He just shows it in different ways.

Bear is sweetly affectionate. She would crawl into my lap when she needed a hug and just stay there in my arms sometimes chatting away about anything and everything.

Chipmunk needs his hugs, too. Of course, after a while, he starts to squish my face between his hands, attempt to pick my nose with his fingers, or poke out my eyes. He even attempts to lick my face. Not really wanting my face licked, I end up putting him back onto the floor. He then rolls over and licks the floor instead. Ew.

Bear loves her Sonja doll so much, she treats her royally. She is so tender and caring, making sure that her doll is well-dressed, well-fed and well-kept.

Chipmunk loves his Stinky Bear. He loves it so much he bites on the arms and tail until it is sopping wet with drool. He body slams the little guy into the floor. He throws him around and shoves him into small places for kicks. He sends him head first into drinking fountains and sandboxes.

When it's time for bed Bear calmly lays down and tells me about the happy things she'll think about to help her fall asleep: rainbows, unicorns, flowers...

When Chipmunk slams down into his bed, he rummages around for his toys, throwing some out of his crib for fun, before singing loudly to himself where sometimes I have to come back and tell him to quiet down. He responds by loudly making pretend snores and then laughing about it just as loudly.

They're my two little peas. They're from the same pod, yet they're so different. Different is fun.

Missing: My Sense of Humor

Last seen about four and a half years ago somewhere on the road to Parenthood. Some distinguishing features include an ability to laugh at everyday things, to smile even in the midst of difficulties, and to not take life so seriously when things get hectic.

If found, please return immediately as the owner could use a good laugh and not be such a serious stick-in-the-mud as she has been lately.

Easter Weekend Catch-up

...or perhaps I should title this post "Scary Ponies, Trains and Eggs."

Scary Ponies



Bear was so proud that she could ride a pony.

That smug smile fell off her face the moment the pony took off in a run.

The pony ride we visited had three different options: Slow, Medium and Fast. She chose to ride a Medium pony. Have you ever seen a four-year-old holding onto her saddle for dear life? That's what Bear was doing. She even yelled at the pony handlers, "Not AGAIN! NO...Not AGAIN!" before her pony started it's trot on the second lap. Needless to say, I don't think we'll be taking her horseback riding anytime soon.



We're such mean parents for taking a picture of her while she's in distress (snicker snicker).

Trains

Chipmunk was smart and objected to the pony ride beforehand. (Me: Do you want to ride a pony? Chipmunk: No thank you, no thank you!)



He was, however, very excited about the train ride next door.



Ah yes, Chipmunk and his trains. He loves his trains...probably just as much as he loves to eat.

Eggs

He also loves hunting for eggs...er, rather hunting for eggs, removing the candy from inside, and then leaving the empty egg on the ground to the disappointment of the next kid who comes along. What can I say...he knows what he wants.



Here his mouth is full of chocolate.

For the next few days it was often that I heard Chipmunk running around yelling, "Caaaannndy Yuuummmmy," while leaving empty plastic eggs in his wake.

Goodnight....

Me: Okay it's time to go to bed. Goodnight kids.

Bear: Goodnight.

Chipmunk: 'Night.

Me: I love you kids.

Bear: Love you, too, Mommy.

Chipmunk: Yub you, Mommy.

Bear: I love Daddy, too.

Chipmunk: Yub you, Daddy.

Bear: I love you, Baby.

Chipmunk: Yub you, Noo Nah.

(I close the door and walk away)

Bear: Baby, what are you doing?

Chipmunk: (talking to himself) 'Night Bear Bear...'Night Thomas...'Night Toby...

Bear: Shhh, you're too loud. You're waking me up.

Chipmunk: Noo Nah?

Bear: You should go to sleep. If you don't sleep, you'll be tired tomorrow. Close your eyes and go to sleep, okay!

Chipmunk: (Makes a fake snoring sound and both kids giggle)

Bear: You're so funny, baby.

Chipmunk: Funny Noo Nah.

Bear's Heart

It amazes me how Bear, at four years old, could have such a big heart. She just loves so much and wants to share it with everyone.

I see it in the way she cares for her little brother. She follows him around to make sure he's well taken care of. When she gets herself a snack, she makes sure to grab two bowls and share. When he falls down, she's the first one there asking him if he's okay and will run to the fridge to grab a cold pack to soothe him.

It doesn't matter whether you've met her once or played with her dozens of times, she considers everyone friend. She's the first one to ask a new friend to come play, and she's the last to leave making sure that everyone gets home okay.

When she engages in conversation, she makes sure that everyone knows what's on her heart and what she thinks about. She's transparent like that.

When she heard that my grandma had fallen down, she fretted and worried asking me every other hour if "big grandma" was okay.

When her classmate got stung by a bee during playtime, she prayed that night that "no more bees would sting" him. She also kept asking me "why do bees sting people?". I tried to explain how bees protect themselves and how it was an accident, but she just couldn't understand why a bee would want to hurt any creature...even a bear trying to steal a bee's honey.

When her fish passed away, she cried for days just because she felt the loss so strongly...even if he was only around for four days.

When any of our relatives visit, she cries herself to sleep the night they leave, often telling me how much she misses them and wants them to visit again soon ("I miss Grandma/Ying Ying/Yeh Yeh so much...when can I see them again?" sniff sniff)

She spends her quiet time each day coloring pictures and cutting cards that she intends for the various loved ones in her life ("I'm making this picture for Auntie Rochelle, because I love her," she says with a smile).

She has this way about her...this charisma where once she knows you, you're part of her world. She naturally befriends people young and old. She gets a lot of attention...but mostly it's because she gives it, too.

She's just got one of those hearts...bursting with love. I'm blessed that I get to be one of those she loves.

The Tantrum Redefined

Today in his toddler gym class, Chipmunk threw a fit. It was a full-blown, foot-stomping, screaming bloody murder type of tantrum. To avoid the stray eyes of disapproving parents I took my angry little monster outside and waited for the storm to blow over.

In my two years as his mom, I've learned that attempting to calm him down is like trying to stop a nuclear chain reaction. Bribe him with a toy or food? He angrily throws them away. Try a distraction? Nope. He just needs to get the tantrum out of his system.

Of course, as he's yelling/throwing himself to the ground, I can't help feel like I'm being an awful parent. I feel everyone's eyes staring at me and telepathically telling me that I'm going about it all wrong. I feel...judged, but helpless.

I've considered my options: (1) Give in and give him what he wants; (2) Preempt his tantrums by making sure there isn't anything for him to get upset over beforehand; (3) Just let him explode.

Since (1) and (2) feed back into his "explosive" behavior, (3) seems to be my best option. I just have to let him get whatever it is off his chest and then work with him on not getting upset when he is calm. It's just as he is screaming for the fifteenth minute, I'm wondering how much more patience I have left in the barrel, when as suddenly as his fit came on, it ends. This morning after Chipmunk vented, he was able to return to his class almost as if the whole episode never happened, with only tell tale snot trails running down his smiling face.

His teacher, with years more parental wisdom than I, wasn't accusatory, didn't point her finger, just came up and told me that Chipmunk reminded her of her own now 12(?) year old son. She told me that with passionate kids like Chipmunk and her son, we often don't see that their exploding emotions are actually a good thing. She told me that perseverance in a tantrum is the same perseverance when it comes to working hard and getting things done. It just takes a while before we learn to redirect those passions towards a better outlet. Hmmmm...

I think I've been mentally in this "why is he doing this to me?" state, that I'd forgotten that Chipmunk, although pint-sized, is his own person. He feels strongly, loves deeply, and does things in his own way. I have to learn about who he is before I can "redirect" his emotional overflow. As Bear is our mild-mannered, warm-hearted, cautious child, Chipmunk is our deeply passionate, headstrong, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kid who doesn't hesitate to let you know how he feels. And oh boy does he let you know.

So when all is said and done, he might rant and rave a while, but once he's done, that's when he'll get to the heart of the matter. I just need to be there to listen.

Happy Lunar New Year

Happy Chinese New Year!

Oh, wait, you say something is wrong with the picture above? There's only one kid...not two?

Heh heh...yeah, well we had a little incident trying to get Chipmunk dressed up for the picture.

Let's just say there were enormous fits trying to get him into his Chinese outfit. He saw the red, satiny pants, shirt and hat and just started screaming "NOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"

After some negotiating on our part and Chipmunk continuing to scream his head off, we decided it wasn't worth it (Sorry Great Grandmas...we tried).

What can we say, our two year old has his own fashion sense and shiny, red outfits don't belong in his idea of acceptable wardrobe.

However, wearing buckets on his head...that's considered acceptable. Go figure.

Cartoonish

I was telling Matt today that Chipmunk reminds me of a cartoon character...There's just something about his silly grin and his facial expressions where his "mugshots" are rather...er...cartoonish.



2 months old



3 months old



5 months old



12 months old



22 months old

I swear it's like watching a cartoon grow up. Of course, it's also fun when he throws his head back, laughs really loud, "AHAHAHA!" and then smiles real big and says, "Funny!"

Can't argue with that...he is funny.

Where Did my Baby Go?

Where did my baby go?



When did he get replaced by a little boy?



I can't believe he'll be two years old in less than a month.

Sigh.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Actually, it's kind of nice having rain...

Where We've Been

Christmas Eve. Chipmunk all dressed up to party.



Christmas Day. Bear running around outside of her grandparents house, excited about the prospect of opening presents.



Day after Christmas. Celebrating Bear's 4th birthday.



Day after Bear's Birthday. Getting ready to see the Nutcracker Ballet with her grandma. (She loved it!)



Two days before New Years. Visited the Train Museum. Chipmunk went hoarse yelling "Train!" for two hours.



New Years Eve. Visited the Jelly Belly Factory. Both kids were in jelly bean bliss...



Also visited the Nut Tree and rode the Carousel and Train.



Left when it was evident that a nap was needed...



New Years Day. Bear decorated cupcakes with her Ying-Ying (grandma). "Are you going to decorate them all?"...Bear: "Yes, they're my birthday cupcakes."



Day after New Years. Took a walk outdoors. Burned off all the cupcake frosting they ate.

Two days after New Years. Rest.

Today. Home Sweet Home.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all the best!

The Chipmunk Vernacular

When Chipmunk hit eighteen months, something clicked in his head and he decided it was time to talk. These days he chats up a storm...in his own little Chipmunk language.

Beh beh = Bear bear

Noo nah = What he calls his sister

Mom-may = Mommy

Dah-day = Daddy (I don't know why, but he suddenly developed an accent on us)

Bao Bao = Hug (Strange - Neither Matt or myself speak mandarin - perhaps too much Kai Lan?)

Chu-ruck! Haaaah! Chu-rayyyy! = Truck! Car! Train! (Must yell loudly and wave arms when spotting one of these)

Ta-ta, Pee pee, Noh-noh, Jaaays, Hun-ee, Emee, Ha-oh, Eh-Hwa = Thomas, Percy, Gordon, James, Henry, Emily, Harold, Edward

After a while, it gets a bit one-sided. Yup, he likes to talk about trains...most specifically, Thomas the Tank Engine trains. He's obsessed. I can't tell the trains apart, but he knows them all on sight. He even takes his two little die-cast trains to sleep with him and asks me to kiss them goodnight. I've even caught him giving his trains some food and drink.

Oh well, at least he's talking. We were a little worried there for a while.