arriving at grandma's:

Grandpa's home!


Auntie Dolly presented her with a new art set, Dora folding chair, and Cinderella pillow.


Look at her just kickin' it with her fruit bar on the couch. Yeah, no problem making herself right at home.


Breakfast the next morning. Loves eggs. I got her those separator trays because she doesn't like her food to touch. :P

Even though it rained the entire way, we were so thankful about the drive down. Naomi didn't get carsick per usual, and she took two naps! We woke her up when we put her in the car at about 5:30 a.m. I thought she might cry, but I asked her if she wanted to go to Grandma's, and she replied with a resounding, "yyEESSS!" And we were on our way.

She played with Chuy a lot, or ordered him around a lot anyway. I already posted the video below. She is quite a little performer. We didn't teach her to bow. It was one of those fun surprises. She saw it somewhere and now loves to get an ovation so that she can bow and say, "Thank you, thank you."

Aside from the fact that they have a very nice TV, the grandparents have PBS Sprout, so she can watch Boohbah. She loves Boohbah, even though she only usually sees it online. It is a really weird show to me, but it does (sometimes) teach cause and effect.

funny and serious:

Naomi takes a bow:


At church this morning I reached into my purse to get a pen and to my surprise pulled out a jumbo crayon.

Manny dropped Naomi off at Sunday School today. She said, "Papi, too!" Manny told her it would just be her in the class. So she pushed him out the door, tried to set up the safety gate behind him, and said, "Bye!" Yep, I guess she's adjusting well. And, yes, more reports of her attacking the other kids today. :(

The sermon was on humility (contending for God's supremacy, as C.J. Mahaney put it). I think pride is at the heart of all sin. And it was good to hear, especially in light of God exposing some of my deeds recently, and very quickly at that. "...but the one who examines me is the Lord." (1 Cor 4:4)

I have some great photos from our trip, especially ones my sister-in-law took. Can't wait to share them with you...next time.

naomi on lost:

Here is a character that I'm glad they introduced, and I'm not just biased because of her name. She's answering some more questions for us from the viewpoint of the "outside world." I won't say any more to spoil it (for Angie). :)

We're really enjoying our vacation. Muchas fotos when we return.

we're here:

Manny wasn't able to get off work till about 9:30 p.m. Thursday night. And at 11pm (we have it recorded), Naomi was STILL asking to go to the mall! We didn't leave until 5:30 a.m. It rained the entire 7-hour trip to Grandma's, but we arrived safely. We asked for prayer from our community group, and this was the best drive we've ever had. Naomi didn't scream for 2 hours straight or throw up like she usually does. We only had to stop once. Amazing. At first I was thinking about praying for it not to rain too much for our trip, but then I thought that someone else was probably praying it wouldn't rain for a wedding or something on the other days. So I just pray that we'll be prepared and be healthy and continue in our joy. And if the weather is good for our trip, then that would just be icing on the cake.

Speaking of which, we're getting ready for her second birthday party with the family today. It's going to be a Disney Princess party at Grandma's with a few of her siblings and their grandkids. Most of them are girls, but there are two boys coming. Hopefully they don't take the "wear your princess outfit" mandate too seriously. :) Wow, Naomi is really loved. I can't imagine the next child will have it this good (no, not preg yet, but you can pray for that if you'd like). But she/he will be loved as well. :)

Even though I'm pretty used to being with Naomi almost 24/7, I am loving this refreshing change of pace right now. Did I tell you these vacations seem like they're mostly for me? :)

birthday par-tay!

Happy 2nd birthday to my beautiful, bubbly, bouncy little ballerina. :) This last year flew by! It feels like my time with her is so limited. We're constantly reminded to cherish and make the most of our time with her.


With Josiah and the balloons.

A couple sprinkles, completely overcast, cold and windy, BUT we weren't rained out! Praise God for the weather, but even more so for giving me grace to get through all the cooking, errands, running to and fro from the car by myself (well, with a restless kid in tow). And with very little stress. I was just relieved the day was finally here. It was a lot of boxes, though. My muscles got a real workout. :) Vanessa (yes, your cousin, E.!) came by a little early to watch Naomi so I could finish setting up. Annette helped out as well.

For the older kids, we had bubbles colored with food coloring for them to blow onto construction paper. It was a short-lived hit, as Naomi mixed 3 of the cups together. That was the end of that.


Fam photo. Naomi was not thrilled about the interruption of her art project.

I was so thankful for Manny could make it during lunchtime (although that probably means it'll be 10pm before he gets off work). He was also a great help with the kids and clean-up. I was blown away by the turnout overall. I would've understood competely if more people cancelled (only one person did). It was only in the mid-50s. I'm a wimpy Californian now! Those east coast winters are a long-forgotten memory.


"BUBBLES!!"


Food table.

A couple women brought salads to share. So awesome. The menu had to be simple and kid-friendly (20 kids!), so I made pizza rolls, organic peanut butter and apricot/orange spread sandwiches, and turkey/cucumber/dill/cream cheese sandwiches. Also crudites, Trader Joe's snacks and dips (love those), and fruit. Drinks were simple, too. Trader Joe's (can you tell I go there often?) sells great juice boxes. Raspberry lemonade, bottled water, done. It's hard to think "picnic" when it's so cold, but it was a good spread. The pizza rolls were the biggest hit.


The group (minus Manny) at the cake/gift table.

I bought Naomi's cupcake cake from Albertson's. It was cute. I should've ordered whipped cream frosting--the buttercream was so thick and overwhelming. But $18.99 for 30 cupcakes is less costly and time consuming than if I'd made it myself.


The obligatory mom, cake, and me photo. I had a little trouble lighting the candles at first. The actual "blowing out the candles" is on video, but hopefully someone else got it.

More photos and some videos later.

Well, I have a lot of cleaning and packing (and eating leftovers!) to do...oh, and that medical transcription exam. *yawn* See you soon!

hope in a time of grief:

I've been kind of down today. Mostly because of the events of yesterday combined with other news, like this set of images (warning: not for the faint of heart or those who don't want to weep publicly). But it's good to get the tears out now. A couple times I've been caught off guard when something was brought to the surface, like when someone asked how my brother was when he was in really bad shape.

There are likely many many more Seungs out there. I still believe that spreading the gospel of hope, mercy, forgiveness, and love (in gentleness and reverence, with unhypocritical love) would do more than trying to search out every warning sign or to quarantine those who fit a certain profile. Of course, investigation is still important so we can learn from a crisis.

I just read Psalm 130, and it's a timely source of comfort. "I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope."

lighter note:

It can be at times uncomfortable for me to watch men ballroom dance ("samba hips!"), but Apolo and Julianne were great on DWTS Monday night.

Disney might be selling Princess-inspired wedding gowns soon. The price is not so nice, but the idea is fantastic.

Looks like the rain is pushing out...depending on which news channel I look out, it'll be anywhere from noon till the evening. I hope for the evening! And if not, I know it'll work out. :)

in mourning:

Ok, so I will talk about the news after all...don't feel obligated to read it if you've had enough...

First, a tragic but heroic story.

Second, I hope this post isn't a sick joke. Or maybe I should hope it is.

Like everyone, I'm really stunned and saddened by what happened. There is a lot going around on the internet about him being Korean and about a reference on his arm. We definitely want to try to find as many answers as possible to prevent this type of tragedy from occurring again, but the byproduct is often a frenzy of assupmtions. People will try to put him in a group, hoping to distance themselves, hoping to find control over the situation that way. Some might even translate fear into hatred and retaliation.

Maybe it really is the case of an Asian who imploded from so much pent-up anxiety and angst, or an impressionable mind sympathetic to the wrong causes, or a person with a history of mental illness unable to bring chemical imbalances under control. Whatever the case, yes, God does allow these things to happen. But what man has used for evil, I believe He will use for His good purpose. It's a wake-up call to all of us, once again. It will bring people together and bring people to Him. Despite who we are, the God of all grace, hope, and peace is perfect. He will be a strength and comfort to a weakened nation.

rain rain go away:

I knew it might rain on Naomi's birthday on Thursday, but now it seems more and more likely that it will. Please, please hold off the rain till late afternoon! The thought of trying to contact and relocate 30 people, mostly kids, to our home is a daunting one (it would be a VERY tight squeeze, and not all the ladies have cell phones). It's supposed to rain "in the morning" and her party is at 11:30 a.m. Should I chance it and just show up to the park with all the food and goodies? I'm not willing to cancel an opportunity to get together with these cool people and kids...we'll just have to open up the garage, maybe?

I know there's so much more to be concerned about in the world today than my daughter's birthday party, especially in light of recent events, but it's hard not to think about it when there are others involved...

misc update:

At lunch with Colleen and 3-month-old Hannah last Thursday. Naomi is so fascinated by Hannah.


Mmm, corn on the cob! Family dinner at Chili's.

There's a lot of sad news today...but I already planned on jotting these things down, so pardon how trivial it might sound.

Damien preached a encouraging message on Sunday on Ephesians 3. I'm thankful to be able to sit in the service again. Well, the event of this week in Sunday School is that Naomi pushed Gabby (the associate pastor's daughter) up against a wall. It sounds like motherly Gabby was trying to get Naomi to not jump or climb dangerously, and Naomi didn't want Gabby to grab her. We aren't rough with Naomi, and Manny and I are usually soft-voiced at home, but I bet many people wouldn't think that. :)

Manny is meeting with someone 1-on-1 on Sundays for bible study and prayer. After Naomi's first year, it's been very refreshing to start getting plugged into church again. We now are involved in a couple ministries and attend a community group (led by none other than James P., those who know him) with some wonderful, open folks. Since I'm not pregnant yet, I'm trying to take advantage of this time in helping other moms or moms-to-be in small ways.

This week is going to be quite busy. There are going to be about 20 kids at Naomi's party Thursday. I was pretty shocked that almost everyone invited was able to make it. So exciting! And a little scary! I'm serving a simple lunch; hopefully I get the amount of food right. I had to improvise with additional favors, and I think we have enough bubble supplies. I have a medical transcription exam to complete for obstetrics/gynecology. The trick is keeping Naomi busy so I can work on it. And of course, there's the chores and the packing.

I have to tell you I am thinking about weather probably more than necessary. The forecast is rain next Monday when we were supposed to go to Legoland. And Legoland is closed Tues and Wed, so we might have a change of plans? I know the family won't mind, though--they just want to spend time with the little princess. There's also a party on Saturday with the family, but Grandma Mona (Manny's mom) was gracious enough to take care of everything. I'm so looking forward to the trip. I can't believe Naomi is going to be two!

On a sadder note, Manny's cousin and her two daughters were struck by another car that ran a red light. They are all recovering but were seriously injured. Please pray for them.

build-a-dog:

Naomi and I went out with Manny's aunt, uncle, and cousin on Tuesday. First we went to Ikea and then to Build-a-Bear for Naomi's birthday present. If you haven't heard of it, Build-a-Bear Workshop is pretty much what it sounds like--you take a (rather privileged) child there to create their own stuffed animal, with a large part of the company's profits coming from customizable sounds, accessories, and clothing. :) Good thing Naomi has no idea what the possibilities are, so she was supremely satisfied with her white dog Fluffy devoid of clothes and accessories. Cousin Fran recorded a sound for the dog activated by a simple press of its leg. Naomi loves it and could barely part with it the first day. I am definitely cool with Naomi getting bigger and better presents from others than us. I'm even down with it! Haha.


Those big ol' eyes.


"Choose me!"


I choose you, Fluffy!

smile:

Smile savers and spoilers -- interesting article and comments.

party time:

[edited] Since Jesse and Naomi are just a day apart, I've been reminded by Cynthia that Naomi's birthday is only a week away! I'm excited but a little nervous about the party. I'm trying for an outdoor party at the park, but it's been raining off an on. I have a plan B at our home, but it probably will be a bit crowded with the 7 families coming so far (I invited 10, and that was to keep it small haha). I guess the advantage would be that if I forgot something, I wouldn't have to drive home and get it. :) This party planning biz can really become an idol of my heart. I just have to remember that her birthday will be a special day no matter what, and having wonderful friends around will be the greatest blessing!

P.S. Manny's aunt, uncle, and cousin took Naomi to Build-a-Bear yesterday for her birthday. She loves her new dog "Fluffy." It's crazy what turning 2 gets you these days!

boogie:

(To 6, thanks for the mention). Maybe many of you will go *yawn*. Haha. BET revealed their top 25 dancers. Really, most of the list was comprised of singers/rappers of the urban persuasion (haha--no offense alright), so no Fred Astaire or Lockers or others who were probably more worthy.

Like most lists, I wouldn't take this one too seriously. Or I would rename it, "Performers Most Widely Imitated by the General Public." I'm no expert, but I don't know about putting out such a list with no credit to a number of dance originators, or putting today's heavily choreographed performers next to legends. Chris Brown is the most versatile and smoothest dance talent today imo, but how could all these recent artists be ranked higher than Gregory Hines? Beyonce higher than Cab Calloway? Rosie Perez? (to be fair, I've only ever seen one clip of Perez)

Michael Jackson didn't invent the moonwalk (originally called the backslide), nor did he ever really credit the men that taught all these moves to him. But as far as being a performer goes, he would have been my choice for #1 for his natural ability, innovation, and influence. Plus, the man has a patent on that stage-lean trick! :) Not that James Brown isn't the man, but almost seems like they had to give him that posthumous nod.

Diddy, like JLo, got his start as a dancer, so maybe that's why he's on the list (but if you go way back like that, then Cuba Gooding, Jr. should be on this list). Frankly, comedian Eddie Griffin is a very good dancer as is/was Paula Abdul. But they're not taken seriously that way, right? Ohs wells. Looks like they were going for people who popularized certain styles and were memorable performers. But if you asked actual dancers, specifically urban dancers, you'd probably find Boogaloo Sam, Poppin' Pete, Rock Steady Crew, Mr. Wiggles, Shabadoo, those kinds of names. A lot of them are still in videos after two decades. And in my book, you'd have to separate out eras and genres. Then we could talk about Astaire, Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse (sp?), Audrey Hepburn, etc... (sorry so long; takes too long to edit).

easter pics:

Since I took the camera to the baby shower on Saturday, we don't have pictures of Naomi with the pretty tulips and with the Easter bunny handing her a balloon. I'm just recording it here for posterity. I wish I could've seen it, but it's nice for Manny to have those memories with Naomi.


We got her a basket on behalf of Grandma Mona ($5.99, which means she has quite a bit left over). She's really good about posing for photos when she has something she wants! She passed over the baskets with the dolls and jewelry for this one with a basketball and hoop, yo-yo, jump rope, and candy (promptly hidden away).


Manny and I were in with the toddlers on Resurrection Sunday. Teaching the death and resurrection of Jesus to 2- or 3-year-olds is interesting. I don't think they get it, but at least it's an introduction to the classroom structure. Naomi got a time out again, this time for trying to choke/strangle a little girl. :( I know we're born with sinful hearts, but it's still shocking that she could behave that way without having learned it.


Stopping to smell the flowers.


Having so much fun at Aunt Baby Doll's Easter party.


Yay, egg hunt! Naomi just wants what's inside.


Happy Easter!

Click for More Photos

baby shower:

Wow, we have a lot of Easter Sunday photos to sort through. So the easier stuff first. Went to J's baby shower luncheon up in Pacifica on Saturday. Had a very humbling and loving discussion with the lady I drove up with--God does answer prayers in incredible ways. The shower was very special because of the unique journey the mom-to-be took to get there. Again, God answers prayers in incredible ways. (Sorry, I'm trying to be more vague and use initials for names now).

a.d.:

Goodbye, Johnny Hart.

isn't she lovely:

some random pics:

Helping Manny wash the car.


Dancing.



Eating noodles.

tv post / misc update:

The Office is back! Most of last night's episode was great. I sort of wanted Dwight to intervene in some other way, like using his bobblehead on Roy, but after seeing the alternative weapons (nunchaku, ninja star, etc.)...yeah, pepper spray works.

Lost: Locke and Juliet switcheroo? Not too bad of an episode. But, please, not another Benry storyline with Juliet...

p.s. Correction--fire was about 6am. Apparently, firefighters say it did not appear to be accidental. I wasn't sure whether police tape was standard procedure.

I have a cold. Guess I wasn't expecting the sudden weather change...plus I had a rough week prior to that. Haven't rested much, but I'll try to today because we have a busy wknd planned.

Happy Easter! Christ is risen!

fire:

There was a fire just a couple yards from our home this morning, around 5 a.m. Naomi didn't get to sleep till midnight, so I was too tired to look. But there's yellow caution tape surrounding the area now.

food part 2:

I'm actually keeping an Excel spreadsheet (I <3 Excel) now of what main dishes Naomi and Manny can eat or like to eat. Her dermatitis was flaring up again recently. And who doesn't love it when something you've made is a hit rather than a miss? Of course, once in a while, I make something that only I like on the side. ;)

I meant to say that it's a bit more expensive to buy better/fresher/organic ingredients, but I agree, Angie, it's definitely it's better to make food yourself. Our first couple years of marriage, I think I made something different every single night for dinner. After having Naomi now, cooking has to be simple, fast, and healthful all at once. And I'm starting to prefer repeated favorites over something new. It's interesting how I switched from looking up fancy recipes online to looking for easy and fast. I like how foodnetwork.com has the star rating right there with the ease and show host. I don't usually follow any recipes to a tee (largely because I don't bake much--you have to really be accurate with baking), and whatever turns out well in the end is what I write into the recipe.

I also like marthastewart.com, but surprisingly I read more on cleaning tips than anything else. She has some awesome ideas, though. Manny's not as enthusiastic as I am about food. He just likes that I cook for him, I think. Telling him how I plan to try a new method for mashed potatoes doesn't really excite him as it does me. Haha. :) You know what, I used to laugh to myself at the students that took Home Economics. Now I totally wish I had. I was so into physics and history back then. But that is part of cooking as well. There's a lot of sciene and of course history to it. Ok, rambling. Feel free to send any favorite (onionless) recipes!

in the kitchen:

How many of you either sold Cutco or bought it from someone because you felt obligated? I fall into both categories. But they are pretty decent knives, all things considered.

How do you open your jars? After all these different methods I was told about, from banging the lid on the floor to using a rubber glove for friction to running under hot water, I find that my parents' method was the best for me after all. I take a spoon with a somewhat pointed end and crowbar the lid to break vacuum.

How to keep those apples and potatoes from oxidizing/turning brown: For apples, squeeze a lemon over it. I hear oranges work as well. For potatoes, I saw a tip recently to submerge them in water after peeling and before cooking.

Manny and I are eating more healthfully at home. Part of it is for Naomi, a lot of it is because we're aging. Our bodies just aren't able to handle all the grease and acid and spice like before. But there are still plenty of flavorful foods that are light. And there's always substitution (e.g., E.V.O.O. for butter, organic ingredients, etc.) One thing I have to say is that it does seem to cost more to eat more healthfully, whether you cook or eat out, but I guess there's a positive trade-off in the long run. Manny took me to McDonald's once and remarked that I had two double cheeseburgers, a McChicken, AND a filet-o-fish in one sitting. Pretty typical for me before, and now that just sounds nasty to me. But it was pretty cheap with the dollar menu!

Even though I can eat just about anything and be grateful (except sashimi, but not for lack of trying--I love all other Japanese food), I do find that once I had Ghiradelli, it was tough to eat Hershey's, and I mentioned about TJ's handmade tortillas vs. Costco's. Maybe it was better when we didn't know what we were missing!

Right now I seriously only have one canned good in the cupboard. I get so proud when I think of how I use up everything in the pantry. Then there's this article [via 6] I saw that made my head even bigger. Then Manny asked, "What about food in case of emergency?" *deflate* Haha! I still wouldn't buy a lot though. I really don't like stocking up; I don't know why. Maybe because I know how forgetful I can be.

lol @ me:

I picked the wrong entry to count, that's for sure!

kitt:

Knight Rider's KITT for sale. I loved that show. Well, I loved the car anyway.

Today my crippling abdominal pain and other stuff I won't TMI you with has finally started to subside after almost 5 days...It's been rough.