naomi at 2 1/2 and more quotes:

Today Naomi tried to befriend another child at a playground. The girl, almost 5, huddled next to her mother. Naomi asked "Are you my friend?" The girl frowned and whined to her mother. Naomi came to me and said, "Aw, she not want friends with me." Then she ran back and tried to say hi again. She did this several times until finally the girl gave in and played with her. I guess that pretty much sums up her social behavior at this age.

Naomi has been growing in leaps and bounds mentally and socially, as expected. She can identify all the letters now and is starting to say what sound they make (Leapfrog works for her). She counts to 15 on her own but doesn't understand what it means to count "to" a number. She likes music but sings her own versions of the lyrics. She loves sorting items, doing puzzles, making pizzas out of anything, drawing, jumping, climbing, running in circles, playing hide-and-seek, and performing. She still likes to pretend to be a cat and dress up. She hasn't acted up in Sunday School lately, which is great to hear.

She's progressing with peeing in the potty, but #2 is a whole other story. She doesn't like me telling people about it and often says, "Don't talk about me!" Actually, I probably shouldn't talk about it around her in a way she can comprehend. Teaching her Mandarin has been challenging. She almost always gets upset. No one around her speaks it, and even I don't speak it often myself. She can say a couple words and phrases, which at least gives her pronunciation practice. I've also tried Spanish but it's a similar situation where she's not immersed in it. But she did repeat "Gracias, mi amiga" to her little friend today.

Quotes:

While we were playing catch.
Me: Naomi, are you ready?
N: Give me one minute.
[picks up a flyer and pretends to read with her finger]
N: One day, Mimi went out too hot day. Papi go bye-bye, too. Mimi put on hat and sunglasses. The end. Okay, I'm ready, Mami.
(Today she told me a similar "story" in the car about a windy day and putting on her sweater.)

On the phone with the grandparents when Grandpa was sick. She came up with this on her own.
N: Don't eat too many tacos, Grandpa. Make you too sick.

Naomi sneezes. I don't respond.
N: I sneezed, Mami.
Me: Oh, sorry. Bless you.
N: Thanks, Mami. I needed that.

Playing catch. She misses catching it.
N: You have to practice real real hard.

Looking at the old PC.
Me: I have to give the old computer away.
N: You have to give it away, Mami?
Me: Yes, I can't use it.
N: You need to drink your milk, eat your foods, and grow big and strong...likes me! Then you can use computer!

Me: Can I have some of your corn, Naomi?
N [puts some in her hand, puts her hand behind her, and sings]: Happy birthday, dear Maaamiii...Happy birthday to you!
[gives it to me]


Loves to sort.


And sort and sort.


She likes to perform for everyone and for no one on the Winnie the Pooh stage in Barnes & Noble. Here she's singing, "Happy Friends! Ends! Ends!"

gilroy gardens with friends:

Gilroy Gardens was decorated for the pumpkin season this weekend. What better way to enjoy it than with Naomi's little buddy Josiah. :) And all the kids are still free. Oh, we're going to miss that. :)


The kids looking anywhere but at me.


Happy to have a buddy around.


Family on the train.


Baby Sofia looks like she's smiling!


Last ride.

interaction:

I remember when we lived in the apartment, our neighbor left one morning, and his wife came out with the kids to send him off. A few minutes later, festive Indian music began playing while friends arrived. It was just a funny picture--Dad going off to work and Mom starting the party shortly thereafter.

Playdates were funny then, but now they are actually kind of a big deal to me. I've learned that they are an exercise in hospitality as well as an opportunity for kids to have practice interacting. Today, we had Naomi's bff Josiah and Baby Sofia over. I made some crab quesadillas that Naomi said were "so yucky!" Well, at least us moms enjoyed them. :) Naomi played so gently with Sofia, tickling her toes and playing peekaboo. No time to get my camera. With Josiah, she did pretty well for a while. Then I went upstairs to grab something for Sofia and came back to Josiah crying. After Naomi was disciplined, she told me she wanted to apologize, and they were all smiles again. When they had to go, Naomi cried, "DON'T LEAVE ME!" and cried and cried. :( We'll be seeing each other every other week now. Ah, I love schedules.

P.S. Our extended family members are safe so far from the fires, though some have been evacuated. I actually had not seen the news since it began till yesterday. I found out two of the fires were suspected arsons. Very sad.

rescuing hug:

A friend sent me this amazing story. True according to snopes.

for the firefighters as well:

For a friend of ours from church:

Please keep Brad [last name omitted] in your prayers as he is a firefighter for Beverly Hills Fire Dept. and is currently on duty fighting these fires in Malibu and the surrounding area. Brad was called on Saturday morning and has been working ever since. He was initially called to Malibu and stationed at Pepperdine University. Please pray for his stamina and for God's protection as he has probably not had much sleep and is working so hard. Please remember his wife and their two young boys in your prayers as well.

playdate with m&m&m&m&m:

Had a playdate with Mikaela and Miguel (siblings) today. Forgot the camera but wanted to keep the memories on record:

-The kids dressed up as princesses and Bob the Builder.
-Mikaela also dressed Miguel up in her swimsuit.
-They all did a show for us, dancing and jumping while singing "Fuego, Fuego" on the trampoline. Baby Maggie, M&M's little sister, clapped and bounced with glee.
-We took a walk around the block with the kids taking turns in a double wagon.
-Naomi and I got to play with Honeybear, their enormous dog.
-Naomi rode a tricycle around. We don't have one at home.
-M & M's mom made us salmon salad sandwiches and veggies for lunch, and all the kids loved it. Pumpkin biscuits as well.
-Naomi fell off the piano bench onto the wood floor, head first. I was standing next to her but missed saving her. :(
-I appreciate Manny more.

to have and have not:

I actually sent an email out to our church asking for someone to babysit so I could go to the dentist. The response was so encouraging. Julie, whom we like to call "Supermom," came a long way with her toddlers to help us out. She doesn't have a lot of the conveniences that many of us take for granted, yet she never uses that as an excuse for detachment. Quite the contrary, actually.

Naomi is still beaming about having someone over. She shared very well, though she said she pushed the younger one down and made him cry. I guess it's nice at this age where she is willing to tell me this. Someday (as you said, Esther) I'm sure she won't be so open with her wrongdoing. :/

Lately, I've had reminders about what is was like to have much less and yet be more content (including Randi's post). It is not wrong to be blessed with money either, and I can't pass judgment on those who have a little or a lot without knowing their situation. I remember when I was a child, we didn't have a washing machine or beds or a TV. When we first got married, Manny and I ate off a cardboard box and slept on the floor (I totally forgot about that till he reminded me today). God has blessed us with so much since then, as you can tell, but that was a tremendous blessing in and of itself. That doesn't mean I'm going to take Naomi's bed and table away to teach her how to do without!

Taking some advice from our pastor and some older friends, instead of giving her a long list of my rules ("because I said so"), I try to point her (and myself) to the bible. I see the fruit of that sometimes, even at this age. When we go shopping, she sometimes stares at a large toy and says, "That's fun!" We tell her it's too expensive, and she'll just put it back and say, "Okay." It is amazing to see a 2-year-old do that. I've been trying to teach her about money, about why Papi works, how we can save for special things (including gifts for others), and how we are to be wise stewards of what we've been given. Of course, she turned around and asked Grandma and Aunt Dolly for something, but that's another story. LOL

Actually, just hearing her say "okay, Mami" makes me want to buy up the whole store for her. But I have to resist. Once in a while, I'll get her something inexpensive to appease myself, not her. You know there's a part of me that wants to give her more than what I had. That's probably why I'm already thinking about her birthday party, which is 6 months away! Of course, I still find myself often explaining that most of her toys were gifts out of fear of judgment by others. :/

Also, I forgot that when we graduated, we also had over $100K in college debt between us. Wow, was all that worth it just to meet each other? I think so! :)

weekend / mt:

Dinner at Tatsumi with L (can you believe she's almost 70?). Naomi loves her some Japanese food but not the flash on the camera.

Pop'in Pete held a master class on Saturday night. He hasn't been out here in over 4 years. I had to miss it, though, as we already committed to a rare dinner get-together with L. I only found out at the last minute that I didn't have to be a "master" to be in the master class. :P

Naomi was a vacuum at the restaurant. I think after her stomach virus, she's just become a very good eater. Still not a fan of peanut butter, though. The other day while we were out, she ate my tuna salad while I had her PB&J.

Saturday was spent mostly working on my medical transcription practices. I am really struggling to find blocks of time to dedicate to the course. I was wondering how I would ever find the time when I started working. I came close to quitting, but Manny and I discussed some new approaches. Instead of just doing what I can a few minutes here and there and letting the class drag while not retaining as much as I should, I will just have to work hard and make sacrifices now to get it done sooner. That will require putting aside a number of other responsibilities I have and asking for a lot of help. And creating some annoyances for Naomi for the time being. In the long run, it will be better than continuously moving it up and down the list. I will probably take some time off after the course to do some review before actually applying for a job. I have about 3-4 months left in the course if I pick up the pace. If I continue as I am, it'll probably be twice that at least.

more quotes:

Naomi talking to her bear: Mr. Bear, I have to leave you, like Papi, but Jesus will wipe your tears.

Me [using a toy animal to talk]: Naomi, can I have some noodles, too?
N: No, ask your mommy first.

Me [pretending to be Elmo watching Naomi dance]: Hi, Naomi, what are you doing?
N: Don't worry, I'll teach you. We have breakdancing class tonight!

N [pointing]: What's that, Mami?
Me: Oh no, I have a hole in my sock!
N: Don't worry, Mami, I'll buy you a new one.

She tells me not to worry or to relax a lot, doesn't she? :P The one thing that has surprised me is that when she is done with time-outs, she often apologizes for exactly what she did on her own, like "I'm sorry for spilling the milk, Josiah's mommy" or "I'm sorry for fighting." I continue to underestimate her level of understanding, I guess.

serenade:

I was cleaning the kitchen when Naomi ran up with her DVD box and said, "I sing a song for you." I thought she wanted to watch something, but she put the DVD box down, stood on it, and started singing, "I love you, Maaammiiii..." I said I would get the camera, but she said she wanted to sing to Elmo now. So I'm holding Elmo. Sometimes she sings the alphabet song well; other times it's a total slur. This is somewhere in between (gets really funny at the end):

time flies:

This weekend was Manny's 10-year reunion homecoming at Stanford. While he and Chris went to the football game, Naomi and I headed out to M's birthday party. I encouraged him to go, because I think he needs some free time every now and then. The man has no hobbies. Seriously. I think now he's starting to enjoy working on the house. Yeah, only took nearly 32 years to find something. lol Chris has the photos from the game (please send them!)

Naomi was a little bummed about leaving her "best friend" Chris. And at the party, once Naomi realized she was the only kid, she said, "Mami. My friends are not here." So she just had to be patient for a few hours. I was very proud of her. And she had no shortage of love from the guests. She wished Auntie M (!) a happy birthday. It was a wonderful party, great weather, almost all the invitees came, and the food--wow! Grilled steaks, chicken, wraps, empanadas, salad, foccaccia, sides, and of course yummy ice cream and cake. When I asked Naomi if she liked it, she said, "Cake and ice cream give me cavities!" Haha.

Oh, I accidentally went to the wrong house at first, making Naomi walk quite a ways before deciding to go back to the car and drive it. I had a lot to carry for the potluck anyway. When I strapped Naomi in, I told her we were at the wrong house and she said, "Mami, please don't do that again." Okay! :)


Birthday girl with Naomi.

kiss and make up:

Josiah is only 2 months older than Naomi. They have a great "couple" height difference, though.


Taking a romantic stroll.

We had a playdate today at Josiah's house. We haven't been there since Naomi attacked him. He certainly wasn't holding a grudge. Plus this time I had a talk with Naomi before we got there, and it seemed to help. Actually, she was exceptional today. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. haha

At one point, Naomi got in the chair with Josiah and started stroking his hair and talking softly to him. When she was done, he pulled her hand and placed it on himself again for more. And the love didn't stop there. We went outside, and the two decided to hold hands. Naomi turned around and told me and Josiah's mom, "No, not you! You don't come with us." Longing for privacy?

Tyler and Kyle were there as well. Naomi used to be just one of the boys, but I am definitely seeing her playtime behavior change as she's becoming more girly. I know the boys probably aren't interested in play that deals with emotional scenarios ("Tyler, help me, I'm scared") or princess tea parties. :) But it's still fun. We're really blessed to have time with our friends even though we don't live by each other.

pumpkin patch:

Our little pumpkin. :)


Must...escape...(then goes right back in)

Manny had to work this weekend, plus had early morning and late evening meetings, but he still made time to take Naomi to the pumpkin patch. When I was little we didn't do holidays. We were that awful family you knew was home on Halloween that wouldn't answer the door, and sometimes we got the dog to scare you away lol. I like Naomi to have these real-life, hands-on experiences. There is the fun, yes, but there is also always some form of disappointment we have to face. I say "we" because I got overly upset at how many parents were letting their older kids into the 3 and under bounce house. Naomi got trampled at one point. One other mom started turning kids away. I tried, too, but I mumble too much or something--no one seemed to hear me. :/

teacher's pet / doc visit:

Naomi's a strange one. One moment she's shy and hides from people, then another she's giving everyone hugs and telling all the kids to "Follow me!" Today during free play, the gym class teacher was cleaning up the bean bag toss. When Naomi saw her, she ran over and said, "Oh, I help you, Teacher Cindy." The teacher expressed her gratitude. Naomi said, "I come over for you, Teacher Cindy." And when she was done putting everything away, she made sure to save a bean bag and give it to the teacher.

The teacher said something about me being a great parent and setting a good example, and I didn't really know what to say. Naomi's a little like me in that she oscillates between extremes. I'm really proud of Naomi in those moments of exemplary behavior (for a 2-year-old), but on the flip side, I think a number of parents would probably say Naomi is the biggest bully of the bunch. I guess she obeys adults pretty well, but she has a long way to go with learning self-control when it comes to fighting with other kids. You know, at the doctor's visit last week, she came in at the 3rd percentile in weight and 20th percentile in height, but SHE certainly doesn't seem to know she's that small. :P

Her first big-girl check-up went well. She even said her shot did not hurt (what kid says that?!) I'm bummed because her regular ped is out indefinitely due to a family emergency. :(

couch celery:

Looks like this season I will only be watching Heroes, The Office, and Lost when it returns. Naomi isn't really into any TV shows right now, not even Curious George anymore, although she seems to enjoy this reading/spelling show on PBS called Super Why. It's a good educational show, although they rewrite various fairy tales and fables that are familiar to most but new to Naomi, so I think she might be a little mixed up in the future. I'm sure she would love more Dora or Mickey (or SpongeBob, which I sadly admit to previously using as a last resort for distraction), but we don't have those channels.

When Manny was home sick, he said he was surprised how quiet the house is during the day. Naomi has occasional tantrums, and once in a while I'll actually make her laugh, but otherwise I guess things are pretty quiet at home. That's probably why Naomi wants to go out all the time. For me, truthfully, I just sometimes wish there were another kid around. But it'll happen at the right time.

reunion with myself:

Lately I've been getting a number of Facebook connection requests from old high school friends (yes, all Asian, bringing the tally to 31 out of 36 friends being Asian, including a couple half-Asians). I was struck by one in particular, a friend whom I was so very close to in high school, and then in college I think I disappointed her when I gave my life to following Christ. I pretty much never heard from her again...till now. I am very glad to hear from her and everyone else.

I did expect friendships to change after I became a Christian. I was once part of the too-smart-for-religion group. We sat around and waxed poetic about our pain and desire, attempting to create a satisfactory philosophy based on every humanistic thought we knew. My moral compass was pieced together using the genius of influential figures and my own distate for religion. So, yeah, even I shocked myself when it happened. I guess it came to a point I couldn't not believe. I can't explain it so well; it's definitely a miracle of grace.

Anyway, it's neat to see how many of my friends are now Ph.D.'s, doctors, and lawyers. Many apparently had struggled in classes more than I did. I managed to get to the head of my classes with straight A's and earn maximum scores on all but one of my AP (Advanced Placement) exams, all while still dealing with not being able to study much at home due to personal issues. And oddly enough, that meant I hadn't developed a work ethic. Most people who did struggle and worked hard ended up passing me up academically in college. But I'm actually really happy for them. The lives we had and that environment of crime, poverty, and racial tensions...I'm so proud of each and every one of the people that rose above it. Eventually my performance in college did improve, but I still put all that behind me for this season of life--without regret.

Fourteen years ago, when I had graduated from high school, I would have laughed at the person I am now, perhaps even loathed me (a stay-at-home mom, for crying out loud!). But now I look back at that time and realize how broken I was then, and how complete I am now. It transcends the mind.

photo time:

Sept 2007 Photos - lots of end-of-summer fun, including things I didn't get a chance to post about.

new community group:

We all got better by Wednesday morning, thankfully, just in time to meet up with our new community group Thursday evening. It's not a formal bible study, but we are going to be going through Mark. The idea of the community group is to get in a circle of people where we can really open up to one another, foster accountability (but not judgment), invite friends, and serve our community together. It's pretty nifty. :)

Our original group grew to about 20 people, so the bittersweet decision was made to split/multiply the groups to keep the size down to where we could really get to know one another candidly again, start and end on time, and we wouldn't need an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of everyone's birthdays (haha, but we're doing that anyway in the new group of nine). I <3 spreadsheets. Anyway, we had a potluck/game night this week. Uno and Pit are just invitations for me to be loud. It sort of scared Naomi to hear me like that. Since I haven't slept well, after that adrenalin rush I was feeling pretty dizzy. :) We had great food as always, like pancit, ribs, caprese salad (for you, cyn), chocolate desserts, and some chicken bundles I brought. And had conversations about strange foods people ate and liked like balut (talking to you, Rommel), stinky tofu, etc.

It is strange starting over after building relationships with our previous group. We went from a group full of Asians to one that is predominantly...Russian? Our old group also had more men and families. In the new group, there are more single women and no playmates for Naomi. She behaves so well now, though (no alternative, I guess, or no partners in crime). It's a good time to really start helping her become part of the group and training her to sit with us. Now she can see this as a family time and not just an adult time. And Manny and I aren't stressed out about spending the entire time keeping her from distracting others, and therefore missing the discussions ourselves. It's good to meet some new people as well and get out of our shells. As hard as it was to leave the other group, it's good for everyone involved.

some naomi quotes:

I forget to or can't record most of them, but we had some interesting dialogue this morning.

N: Wow, nice day!
Me: Are you happy?
N: Yes! And Mami and Papi happy, too!
Me: Yes, because we have Jesus in our hearts.
N: Umm...and God, too. He helps us not be sick.

[Naomi getting upset about a puzzle and throwing the pieces]
Me: Naomi, that is not nice to throw your puzzle pieces.
N (crying): I'm telling Papi!!
Me: You're teling Papi? What are you telling him?
N: I'm telling Papi I was not nice! Call Papi!!

Me: Shh...
N: Oh, I'm sorry, Mami. I'm talking too loud, right?

"X, Y, Z spells Naomi!"

Me: Naomi, Papi's sick.
N: Oh, okay, I'll read you a story, Papi.

sickies update:

Manny came down with terrible aches, chills, and nausea Monday. He's doing much better. I started getting the aches and nausea as well, but I was determined to fight this thing, because no one can take care of me right now, and I still need to take care of my family. Also, we have a small potluck Thursday night. I just have some slight numbness now. I miss being able to take Nyquil. Naomi threw up again about 3 a.m. this morning (it's once a night now, the 6th day). Wow, what is it like for moms who have multiple kids when everyone is sick? I applaud you! I cry out to God (no shame in that).

Poor Naomi--once in a while I hear her stomach gurgling and acid erupting up her esophagus. Then she's very still till she swallows it back down. :( She's a trooper about the vomiting, but she screams about being messy: "Wipe me! Change my shirt!" We'll be seeing the doctor tomorrow. At least she's improving and not dehydrated. I tell Naomi she has to drink the water, broth, or Pedialyte and she always replies, "Okay, Mami." It breaks my heart.

every little thing she does:

Naomi is finally getting better. Today, she kept a solid meal down for the first time in days and asked to go out again. Unfortunately Manny's not doing too well now. I'm thankful to be spared once again (so far) despite a lot of close contact.

When you are a child, you appreciate so many things adults take for granted. And when you see a child, you suddenly can't take it all for granted anymore, not even the ability to eat! Here are some photos of Naomi eating. It makes us proud. Plus, you couldn't tell she eats much at all by her size so here's the proof. ;)


Loves Chinese broccoli.


Her first mall pretzel with the requisite (and questionable) cheese dip.


Requesting her trainer chopsticks for the beef lo mein.


I think she got tired of waiting for us so she served herself.


Something we looked forward to before we had kids--taking our children to our favorite Taiwanese eatery. Thumbs up for the combo noodle soup.


She loves the Mexican food, too. :) (excuse my appearance)

Um...in other news, our friend Larissa is engaged!!!!!!