Today we visited the doctor's office for our annual check-ups for the kids. Despite the impending shots and the feel of a cold stethoscope on their back, the kids were generally happy. We had to wait a while, but the kids kept themselves busy.
Me: (watching Chipmunk move his arms in a circle) What are you doing?
Chipmunk: I baking a cake. Come help me (shouts to his sister)!
Bear: Okay. I'll cut the cake. (picks up imaginary object and cuts the cake)
Chipmunk: NOOOOOOOO! Don't take the knife! (Grabs imaginary object back from sister and puts it on the floor)
Bear: ( Grabs imaginary object off floor) I'm just going to cut it into a rectangle.
Chipmunk: NOOOO! (Grabs imaginary object back and puts it in his pocket) Stop cutting my cake! That's my knife!
Bear: (Reaches for Chipmunk's pocket) Stop taking it away!
Chipmunk: (Pushes Bear's hand away)NOOOOO! YOU STOOOOOP!!!
Me: Uh, you know that you two are fighting over something that isn't really there, right?
2.17.2011
2.12.2011
I'll Never Forget that Tuesday
Yup, it was a Tuesday when you were born. I'll never forget it. Neither will your dad, since it was his birthday. Suddenly, sometime after noon it became your birthday as well. My little boy...who came out with a bottom lip in a pout and a whimpering cry (which you still do to this day)...
Oh, my silly little boy. I can't ever get you to sit still, and you always make me laugh, even when I'm trying hard not to. You're carefree and you're super stubborn, but you've got a light-hearted joy that makes other people want to be joyous with you.
Three years old. Sigh.
Happy Third Birthday, Chipmunk! And happy (fill-in-the-blank) birthday, Matt!
Oh, my silly little boy. I can't ever get you to sit still, and you always make me laugh, even when I'm trying hard not to. You're carefree and you're super stubborn, but you've got a light-hearted joy that makes other people want to be joyous with you.
Three years old. Sigh.
Happy Third Birthday, Chipmunk! And happy (fill-in-the-blank) birthday, Matt!
2.05.2011
Snow Day - California Style
To all of my friends who suffered through Snowmageddon...this post will seem cruelly unfair. So please forgive me and our temperate California weather, and the fact we sought out snow...by choice.
Yup, that it a picture of Chipmunk having the time of his life.
Here he is, all bundled up, waiting to ride down the hill again and again...and again. He quit only when he realized he was hungry and needed sustenance.
Bear? She opted out. You see the pony ride scarred her for life, and now she fears trying anything that has the potential of going "too fast."
Instead she worked on her snowball rolling...
...and attempted a snow angel, only to figure out that crunchy man-made snow isn't really the best for it.
Meanwhile, Chipmunk was on his fifth run...
Yup, that it a picture of Chipmunk having the time of his life.
Here he is, all bundled up, waiting to ride down the hill again and again...and again. He quit only when he realized he was hungry and needed sustenance.
Bear? She opted out. You see the pony ride scarred her for life, and now she fears trying anything that has the potential of going "too fast."
Instead she worked on her snowball rolling...
...and attempted a snow angel, only to figure out that crunchy man-made snow isn't really the best for it.
Meanwhile, Chipmunk was on his fifth run...
2.02.2011
Germs
I'm quite sure we all got the same germs.
Bear had a runny nose and a cough for a couple of days.
Chipmunk had a runny nose from one nostril and was a bit irritable for a day.
Matt slept for a day and seemed to be over the worst of it by the second day.
I'm on my third day and I've got fever, chills and aches. My head is congested and I feel like I'm hacking out a lung.
How fair is that?
My family all seems to have super human healing powers... Chipmunk the most super of them all...perhaps it's the fact that he eats his boogers that he's so healthy.
Yup. He's that kid. The one who eats his boogers in class.
Lovely.
Bear had a runny nose and a cough for a couple of days.
Chipmunk had a runny nose from one nostril and was a bit irritable for a day.
Matt slept for a day and seemed to be over the worst of it by the second day.
I'm on my third day and I've got fever, chills and aches. My head is congested and I feel like I'm hacking out a lung.
How fair is that?
My family all seems to have super human healing powers... Chipmunk the most super of them all...perhaps it's the fact that he eats his boogers that he's so healthy.
Yup. He's that kid. The one who eats his boogers in class.
Lovely.
1.27.2011
Conversations in the Car
Chipmunk: Mommy, my tummy hurts!
Me: Why does your tummy hurt?
Chipmunk: The monster got me!
Me: Uh...okay.
Me: Why does your tummy hurt?
Chipmunk: The monster got me!
Me: Uh...okay.
1.21.2011
All About Hair
Chipmunk's stint as a hair stylist was a short one...here's his handy work.
We think he was going for the layered look.
Speaking of hair...I'm always amazed at how Chipmunk's hair can defy gravity when it wants to.
I even sent him to preschool with this hair. So far his cowlick is going on 8 hours.
We think he was going for the layered look.
Speaking of hair...I'm always amazed at how Chipmunk's hair can defy gravity when it wants to.
I even sent him to preschool with this hair. So far his cowlick is going on 8 hours.
1.18.2011
An Unintended Haircut
Me: Why are there strands of hair all over the carpet?
Chipmunk: (proudly) I cut my sister's hair!
Me: Bear, why did you let your brother cut your hair?
Bear: I didn't. He just cut it.
Me: (shakes head and mentally tells self to hide all scissors)
Chipmunk: (proudly) I cut my sister's hair!
Me: Bear, why did you let your brother cut your hair?
Bear: I didn't. He just cut it.
Me: (shakes head and mentally tells self to hide all scissors)
1.03.2011
I Can't Believe You're Five
Five. I can't believe you're five years old.
It behooves me that you've already reached half of a decade. When did that happen?
It feels like just yesterday you were four years old and so proud of your birthday cupcakes.
And a moment before that, you were three.
I still remember when you were two and you were so excited to blow out your birthday candles...
...and even when you turned one and didn't know what a birthday was.
Five.
Please don't grow up too fast. I don't know if my heart can take it.
It behooves me that you've already reached half of a decade. When did that happen?
It feels like just yesterday you were four years old and so proud of your birthday cupcakes.
And a moment before that, you were three.
I still remember when you were two and you were so excited to blow out your birthday candles...
...and even when you turned one and didn't know what a birthday was.
Five.
Please don't grow up too fast. I don't know if my heart can take it.
1.02.2011
Holidays 2010
January has just begin, and December already feels like a blur. Before they blur from my memory, I thought I'd recapitulate the holiday festivities.
Christmas Eve
My sister's lemon tart
The annual gift exchange
Christmas Day
Christmas dinner...
5th Birthday
Bear's 5th birthday
Other Adventures...
A trip to the local park
A visit to the Exploratorium
A tour of a printing-publishing house
To see more pictures of our adventures during the holiday, click here.
Hope you all had wonderful holidays as well.
Christmas Eve
My sister's lemon tart
The annual gift exchange
Christmas Day
Christmas dinner...
5th Birthday
Bear's 5th birthday
Other Adventures...
A trip to the local park
A visit to the Exploratorium
A tour of a printing-publishing house
To see more pictures of our adventures during the holiday, click here.
Hope you all had wonderful holidays as well.
12.24.2010
12.05.2010
Chipmunk's Little Mysteries
Everyday is full of little mysteries.
Mystery #1: Where Did It Go
"Mommy, I lost it!"
"What did you lose?"
"I lost it!"
"Where did it go?"
"I don't know..."
Mystery #2: How Did It Get There?
"Mommy, look. Soap everywhere!!"
"Uh, how did that get there?"
"My sister did it."
"Did she really?"
"I don't know..."
Mystery #3: Missing Train
"Mommy, I put a train in the potty!"
"Uh, did you take it out?"
"I don't know..."
Mystery #4: Guess What I Ate
"Mommy, I swallowed something...get it out!"
"What did you swallow?"
"I don't know..."
Mystery #5: Who Broke It
Craassshhh!
"What happened?!"
"It broke, mommy!"
"Who broke it?"
"I don't know..."
Like I said, everyday is full of little mysteries. I just wish I didn't have to clean up after each one.
Mystery #1: Where Did It Go
"Mommy, I lost it!"
"What did you lose?"
"I lost it!"
"Where did it go?"
"I don't know..."
Mystery #2: How Did It Get There?
"Mommy, look. Soap everywhere!!"
"Uh, how did that get there?"
"My sister did it."
"Did she really?"
"I don't know..."
Mystery #3: Missing Train
"Mommy, I put a train in the potty!"
"Uh, did you take it out?"
"I don't know..."
Mystery #4: Guess What I Ate
"Mommy, I swallowed something...get it out!"
"What did you swallow?"
"I don't know..."
Mystery #5: Who Broke It
Craassshhh!
"What happened?!"
"It broke, mommy!"
"Who broke it?"
"I don't know..."
Like I said, everyday is full of little mysteries. I just wish I didn't have to clean up after each one.
11.25.2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hope you're all counting your blessings today. I know I am.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
11.19.2010
One of Those Days
It's been one of those days....one of those days when you can't decide whether it's you that's crazy or it's your child. You've had it up to here. You're patience is so thin you can see through it. Your brow is stuck in a furrow of frustration and you're afraid to open your mouth in case what comes out can't be taken back.
So you close your eyes, breathe in sharply, and exhale slowly hoping all your anger and worry will release with your outgoing breath. Your fists are clenched and your fingernails are pushing creases into your palms.
Helpless words escape your lips, "Help me, Lord." You feel the pressure building behind your eyes and the tell-tale tears are slowly pushing their way out despite how hard you try to suppress them. You are a bottled well of anger, frustration, feeling beat down and helplessly lacking control. You don't know whether to punch a wall or jump back into bed and hide. It's just been one of those days.
Then little flashes pop into your mind...and you remember. You remember the day you first held them in your arms. You remember their tiny little bottom lip pouting and crying only minutes after being born and just the sheer awe of knowing you love so much despite how you just met. You remember that first smile after weeks of colic that warmed you inside and out, melting away your weariness. You remember the first time they hugged you unprompted and said, "Yuv you," or the first time they sat in your lap wanting to be hugged.
And just like that, your frustration melts, your anger subsides, and you remind yourself that love is never easy, forgiveness is no small feat. You pick yourself up, prod yourself forward and do what you must whether it's cleaning up a mess or mentally revising how to approach the situation.
It's just one of those days...one of many to come...so you better find a way to cope, a way to right your spirits, a way to not let yourself be pushed over the edge, a way to make sure that when you put your head to your pillow at night you're not haunted by all the ways you could have been a better parent that day.
So you close your eyes, breathe in sharply, and exhale slowly hoping all your anger and worry will release with your outgoing breath. Your fists are clenched and your fingernails are pushing creases into your palms.
Helpless words escape your lips, "Help me, Lord." You feel the pressure building behind your eyes and the tell-tale tears are slowly pushing their way out despite how hard you try to suppress them. You are a bottled well of anger, frustration, feeling beat down and helplessly lacking control. You don't know whether to punch a wall or jump back into bed and hide. It's just been one of those days.
Then little flashes pop into your mind...and you remember. You remember the day you first held them in your arms. You remember their tiny little bottom lip pouting and crying only minutes after being born and just the sheer awe of knowing you love so much despite how you just met. You remember that first smile after weeks of colic that warmed you inside and out, melting away your weariness. You remember the first time they hugged you unprompted and said, "Yuv you," or the first time they sat in your lap wanting to be hugged.
And just like that, your frustration melts, your anger subsides, and you remind yourself that love is never easy, forgiveness is no small feat. You pick yourself up, prod yourself forward and do what you must whether it's cleaning up a mess or mentally revising how to approach the situation.
It's just one of those days...one of many to come...so you better find a way to cope, a way to right your spirits, a way to not let yourself be pushed over the edge, a way to make sure that when you put your head to your pillow at night you're not haunted by all the ways you could have been a better parent that day.
10.31.2010
Halloween Aftermath
Chipmunk wailed as I was trying to put his costume on him. "NO, TAKE OFF!!!" He cried so much that there are tear stains all along his lapel.
It wasn't until the weather turned a bit colder and he decided that his long pants/long sleeved costume was finally worth wearing. I was almost afraid he wasn't going to wear his costume at all.
Chipmunk as Iron Chef Morimoto.
Bear was so happy in her Cinderella costume that she was prancing around and twirling at every moment she got.
She came up to me halfway through and was fighting back tears in her eyes. Apparently she took a turn in the jumper and tore her dress. Fortunately I came armed with safety pins (Learned from last year's costume). After I tucked her back in her dress and assured her that I would fix it the right way once we got home, she proclaimed, "I don't want to go in the jumper anymore."
No more jumpers for Bear...at least on Halloween.
It wasn't until the weather turned a bit colder and he decided that his long pants/long sleeved costume was finally worth wearing. I was almost afraid he wasn't going to wear his costume at all.
Chipmunk as Iron Chef Morimoto.
Bear was so happy in her Cinderella costume that she was prancing around and twirling at every moment she got.
She came up to me halfway through and was fighting back tears in her eyes. Apparently she took a turn in the jumper and tore her dress. Fortunately I came armed with safety pins (Learned from last year's costume). After I tucked her back in her dress and assured her that I would fix it the right way once we got home, she proclaimed, "I don't want to go in the jumper anymore."
No more jumpers for Bear...at least on Halloween.
10.21.2010
Lapsus Linguae
After bringing home the new sewing machine...
Husband: Are you happy you have a sewing machine again?
Me: Yup. It's nice.
Husband: Now you can finish all your crap.
Me: Crap?
Husband: I mean...CRAFTS. Not cra-ap. Cra-afts.
Me: Right. You mean like how you play Star-crap? Oh, I mean Star-cra-aft.
Husband: Are you happy you have a sewing machine again?
Me: Yup. It's nice.
Husband: Now you can finish all your crap.
Me: Crap?
Husband: I mean...CRAFTS. Not cra-ap. Cra-afts.
Me: Right. You mean like how you play Star-crap? Oh, I mean Star-cra-aft.
10.19.2010
Monster, Monster!
Chipmunk has been a little obsessed with monsters...invisible monsters.
He'll point under a table or bed and yell out, "Aw, month-ter! I cay-ered(Ah, monster. I scared.)" Of course, he says this with a huge grin and laughs like it's the best joke he's ever played.
He'll don a blanket over his head and "Roooaaar!" after his sister declaring, "I a month-ter. I get you."
He will take his bear, knock over his sister's toys and say, "Month-ter, stomp your toys!"
Of course, he also decided to point at our server at a restaurant one day and yell out, "MONSTER, MONSTER!!!!"
Thankfully, she thought it was hilarious and returned to our table frequently to try to get him to do it again.
*Sigh*
What can I say? It takes a monster to know a monster.
He'll point under a table or bed and yell out, "Aw, month-ter! I cay-ered(Ah, monster. I scared.)" Of course, he says this with a huge grin and laughs like it's the best joke he's ever played.
He'll don a blanket over his head and "Roooaaar!" after his sister declaring, "I a month-ter. I get you."
He will take his bear, knock over his sister's toys and say, "Month-ter, stomp your toys!"
Of course, he also decided to point at our server at a restaurant one day and yell out, "MONSTER, MONSTER!!!!"
Thankfully, she thought it was hilarious and returned to our table frequently to try to get him to do it again.
*Sigh*
What can I say? It takes a monster to know a monster.
10.14.2010
What Autumn Brings...
So the leaves don't really change colors where we live...Our Autumn indicators are a little bit different...
First Days of School.
County fair food.
Soccer.
Then came the 100+ degree weather. Lovely.
First Days of School.
County fair food.
Soccer.
Then came the 100+ degree weather. Lovely.
8.29.2010
It's a Wireless, Wireless World
Last night we went out to eat at a local restaurant and although we've been there numerous times before, this time they had portable touch screens, mounted on stands, available at each table. We didn't try it, but you could order your meals, watch movies, and even pay for your bill using the provided card reader. Our server, however, took one look at our curious, bouncing Chipmunk and showed him how to play an animal memory game on the device. Bear immediately came over and soon both the kids were happily matching zebra to zebra and lion to lion.
Matt then whipped out his smart phone and checked his email and sports scores.
I was left twiddling my thumbs with no one to talk to.
So I looked around the restaurant and let me tell you, it was quite a sight. At one table I saw a girl tapping away on her Nintendo DS next to her sister who was playing on the touch screen device, while their dad was typing away on his iPhone. At another table a boy was playing on the touch screen while his brother was watching a show on a portable DVD player. His father was chatting on his blue tooth ear piece and the mother, was reading on her phone. And it wasn't just at those two tables, it was a recurring theme throughout the restaurant. People were texting, checking emails, playing games, watching shows...it was hard to find people who were just simply talking to one another.
Is this what the future of dining out holds for us?
Granted, I'm guilty of pulling out my Nano to keep Chipmunk busy while waiting for our orders to arrive, and Matt has on many an occasion handed over his phone to Bear so she can doodle to keep her impatience at bay...
It was just such an eye-opening experience at how much more wireless our world is becoming. My mother mentioned watching a row of kids at a graduation where each kid had their own iPad to tap away on. I've read articles with suggestions for purchasing preschool age kids their own iPod touch to keep them busy on long car/plane rides. There are portable game devices for every possible age group, with many of them capable of connecting wirelessly in some capacity.
Hmmm...
I remember, as a kid, getting excited if there was a kids menu that came with crayons.
It's a different world our kids live in. I just hope that by becoming more connected with our gadgets and the internet, we don't lose the personal connections we have with each other.
Of course, as I'm typing away on the laptop right now, I'm thinking, "Gee, shouldn't I get off and go play with my kids?" So I'll quit my ranting and raving for now. Until next time...
Matt then whipped out his smart phone and checked his email and sports scores.
I was left twiddling my thumbs with no one to talk to.
So I looked around the restaurant and let me tell you, it was quite a sight. At one table I saw a girl tapping away on her Nintendo DS next to her sister who was playing on the touch screen device, while their dad was typing away on his iPhone. At another table a boy was playing on the touch screen while his brother was watching a show on a portable DVD player. His father was chatting on his blue tooth ear piece and the mother, was reading on her phone. And it wasn't just at those two tables, it was a recurring theme throughout the restaurant. People were texting, checking emails, playing games, watching shows...it was hard to find people who were just simply talking to one another.
Is this what the future of dining out holds for us?
Granted, I'm guilty of pulling out my Nano to keep Chipmunk busy while waiting for our orders to arrive, and Matt has on many an occasion handed over his phone to Bear so she can doodle to keep her impatience at bay...
It was just such an eye-opening experience at how much more wireless our world is becoming. My mother mentioned watching a row of kids at a graduation where each kid had their own iPad to tap away on. I've read articles with suggestions for purchasing preschool age kids their own iPod touch to keep them busy on long car/plane rides. There are portable game devices for every possible age group, with many of them capable of connecting wirelessly in some capacity.
Hmmm...
I remember, as a kid, getting excited if there was a kids menu that came with crayons.
It's a different world our kids live in. I just hope that by becoming more connected with our gadgets and the internet, we don't lose the personal connections we have with each other.
Of course, as I'm typing away on the laptop right now, I'm thinking, "Gee, shouldn't I get off and go play with my kids?" So I'll quit my ranting and raving for now. Until next time...
8.27.2010
Simple Prayers
Chipmunk, on giving thanks before meals...
Chipmunk: De-ah God. FOOD! Ay-men. (Dear God, Thank you for the food. Amen.)
Gotta love simple prayers.
Chipmunk: De-ah God. FOOD! Ay-men. (Dear God, Thank you for the food. Amen.)
Gotta love simple prayers.
8.24.2010
Grandkids, the Tour
Out of seven grandparents (including great grandparents), six of them live on the other half of our state. Thus, when we are making travel arrangements for visits, we tend to make the rounds making sure that each grandparent gets their fair share of time with their beloved grandkids. Perhaps one day our two kids won't be the only grandkids available to them all, but for now, they're it.
Our tour began with Matt's family...While visiting we managed to catch a train ride. Now this was no dinky train ride. It was a real full-sized train. Chipmunk was in utter delight.
He was especially fascinated when the train had to uncouple for a bit.
We went to a local amusement...filled with fairy tale themed fun.
We rounded out the first half of the tour with swimming, rice krispy treat decorating, daily walks with grandpa, and seeing some friends.
The second part of tour was a visit with a great grandma. We went for dim sum. All was well until Chipmunk broke out in hives. Poor guy. Luckily there was a Walgreen's next door with a decent supply of Children's Benadryl. We think it was the shrimp.
The third leg of the Grandkids tour was with my side of the family. Of all the things we did, the zoo is probably what struck a chord with Bear and Chipmunk. They kept asking to see the elephants, which we did.
Chipmunk after a while gave his own impression of a wild animal.
All in all, a good trip. Lots of good memories and home once again.
Our tour began with Matt's family...While visiting we managed to catch a train ride. Now this was no dinky train ride. It was a real full-sized train. Chipmunk was in utter delight.
He was especially fascinated when the train had to uncouple for a bit.
We went to a local amusement...filled with fairy tale themed fun.
We rounded out the first half of the tour with swimming, rice krispy treat decorating, daily walks with grandpa, and seeing some friends.
The second part of tour was a visit with a great grandma. We went for dim sum. All was well until Chipmunk broke out in hives. Poor guy. Luckily there was a Walgreen's next door with a decent supply of Children's Benadryl. We think it was the shrimp.
The third leg of the Grandkids tour was with my side of the family. Of all the things we did, the zoo is probably what struck a chord with Bear and Chipmunk. They kept asking to see the elephants, which we did.
Chipmunk after a while gave his own impression of a wild animal.
All in all, a good trip. Lots of good memories and home once again.
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