jelly belly factory:

Friday, Manny had a day off, so we made a road trip up to Jelly Belly Factory. We'd planned to go on our 9th anniversary back in February, but I broke my foot the day before. It was much better not knowing if we were going to make it this time (I'm too obsessive about planning and punctuality). Anyway, Naomi was happy, Lucas was content eating Cheerios during the 45-minute tour, and Manny got me a French dip sandwich, so I was pleasant, too. :) The weather was perfect, the drive wasn't too bad, and we enjoyed our samples and discounted bags of Belly Flops. The only slight disappointment was that they took our family photo, but then something got messed up so our group's photos couldn't be retrieved. Photos are not permitted inside the factory.


Manny and Naomi at the entrance.


Naomi loves mirrors, especially when they're funny.


They made even the babies wear hats for the tour. Shortly after this photo, Lucas ripped his hat apart.


We always like the sample bar.


Me and the kids in the cafe with the jellybean chandelier. The food in the cafe, like their pizza, is shaped like jellybeans. It took me a minute to figure out why Manny's burger looked so weird.

getting out again:

Manny only has partial workdays this week, so it's good timing to be able to get out of the house again. I still had the brown mucus from my nose until Sunday, which apparently indicates a sinus infection. Yeah, I used Dr. Google to self-diagnose. I thought a trip to the doctor might result in antibiotics. I had to take them while pregnant and then while nursing Naomi, which possibly led to her penicillin allergy. Not sure, but I didn't want to risk it with Lucas.

Sunday: Community group potluck (all of us), Manny's Work BBQ (just him and Naomi).
Monday: Mall & Johnny Rockets (all 4 of us).
Tuesday: Playdate (Me & the kids), Manny worked part of the day and then got some shelves and bins from Ikea.
Wednesday: Manny saw Terminator Salvation. We were supposed to go to Jelly Belly Factory, but none of us got much sleep.
Thursday: Even less sleep, so no Star Trek for me today. :( Planning to attend a combined community group potluck tonight, final one before summer starts.

some gave all:

honesty:

As hard as it is sometimes to know how to handle Naomi's feelings, I'm thankful that she articulates them very well. There's a lot I have to think about and apologize for, as well as help her understand. I value transparency, but I get in trouble sometimes wearing my heart on my sleeve with others. But within the family, we definitely want to keep our lines of communication open. I don't think I'm even as self-aware as Naomi is.

Me: Naomi, I need to take Lucas up for his nap, okay?
N: Um, Mami, to tell you the truth, actually, I want all your attention for myself.

N: Mami, I have something to tell you. When you got upset when I came in and said, "hi," you made me feel like...like...like a loser. [She came into the nursery when it was Lucas's bedtime and woke him up. Yes, exhausted or not, I shouldn't have been so angry.]

After being disciplined and getting sent to her room for talking back:
N: Mami, I left something for you upstairs!
There is a box on the bed. I open it to find a heart-shaped box. Inside the box is a plastic star.
A: Wow!
N: This is to show you how sorry I am. And that you're a queen and a star!

She's also told me that I've been pushing her too hard with reading lessons, so I'm definitely slowing down the pace. It's a good thing to be honest with yourself. And I'm glad she's helping me learn to do just that!

lucas at 10 months:

Lucas turns 10 months! Still a ham.

Lucas was pretty thrown off this past month with the vacation, illnesses, and his newfound mobility. He didn't sleep or eat well and lost a lot of weight. He wasn't even eating half of his intake at 6 months for a while. It's been a challenge trying to get him back on track (because he has to eat well to nap well, nap well to sleep well, and sleep well to eat well), but it looks like we're finally turning a corner. He's back up to 19 lbs (well below average) and is a little over 29 inches long (about average).

Interests: He likes to take his toys for a drive. We find matchbox cars and balls all over the place. He specifically digs them out from Naomi's bins. He sometimes "drives" things up walls. He loves to shake large things like our floor lamps with great violence. He still loves any music and does the Stevie Wonder head sway to it, but in fast forward. We appreciate and enjoy the differences between him and Naomi as a baby. She liked cars, balls, and music, too, but it's more "focused" with him. He's a huge fan of anything that activates with buttons, like the cell phone and toys that weren't nearly as interesting to Naomi. He'll point the remote at the TV and get all excited (it starts this early, huh?). He loves to take baths, and I think he could splash for hours if I let him. That's his only surefire tantrum each day--when bathtime is over.

Disposition: Lucas is a happy baby for the most part. He's very active and squirmy. He adores Naomi and squeals in delight around her, even when she cries. Empathy is definitely not his strong suit. He wants to play all the time. Feeding and nap/bedtime are getting a little more challenging. I think my "easy baby" days are finally behind me, although he's still light years away from Naomi's temperament. Usually if I put a few toys in his hand, he'll eat; otherwise, he protests and does everything he can to escape his booster seat.

Development: Lucas can stand for a few seconds unsupported now and is doing the cross-cruising thing where he goes from one piece of furniture to another. He still isn't really saying anything, although the occasional "mama" or "ah-dah" comes out. Of course, the day he went to the doctor's he was babbling away, so she's no longer that concerned. You have to remember that when Naomi was 10 months old, she was signing or saying words with intention. We have her on video at 8 months saying, "Help Papa," trying to put clothes in the suitcase while he was packing. Their development just reveals that it's hard to say what "normal" is.

naomi's awards night:

We went to AWANA Awards Night last night to see Naomi get her year-end awards. Things worked out so Manny could make it. He surprised us in the parking lot. :)

It was cute how Naomi called out, "Mami! Over here!" and waved to us excitedly as she went on stage. It was kind of embarrassing, though, how she cut in line and covered her ears while she was supposed to be singing. I should've taken a photo of that.

I chuckled and cowered a little when Naomi's leader gave the intros for her group. "Joshua is the best artist I've had in my 11 years." "Eden worked very hard." "And over on the end there we have Naomi. She, uh, is very fun. She has A LOT of energy. And, uh, she just brings a lot of fun." Haha. Oh well, Manny and I would never be described as such. After the awards, they served up ice cream sundaes. One of the AWANA leaders came up to tell me what a pleasure it was to have Naomi join this year. I said I knew she could be a handful sometimes, but she really loves going to Cubbies. She replied, "Oh, she just loves life!" I said that was a nice way to put it. :)


The Cubbies entered using a rope. Good idea, except Naomi let go and ran to the front.


Naomi cut in line to get next to the other Naomi in Cubbies, who is in the oldest group. A cute photo of the last time she fully cooperated.


Naomi was in the youngest group, the Elephants.


Ice cream sundaes afterwards, and then jumping into Papi's arms. Lucas was such a good boy.

We are very proud of her. She worked hard to catch up and finish her book, having joined in February and having to miss a couple nights. She had to say two to four verses each week instead of one. Words like "thy" and "hath" really tripped her up, so I allowed her to say "your" and "has." I assume they did, too.

I was so thankful we were all better. Naomi was the last to recover, but her snot was a blessing in disguise. Two nights ago, she stuck a magnetic dot all the way up her nose and I couldn't get to it with tweezers or anything, but it finally slid out with a blow, covered in mucus. Crisis averted.

successful potty training:

"Successful potty training" sounds like the title of a book, one which I could never write. I originally purchased this book called The Princess and the Potty, among others, to help Naomi to use the potty. As it turns out, I ended up relating to the book more myself.

Naomi showed interest in using the potty at 18 months. We ran out and got a potty for her, which she liked, and she went a few times before declaring she wanted to use the grown-up toilet. It worked once or twice. Then, for the sake of consistency, I swept her up and forced her to stay on the potty whenever there were signs. She became scared, but I continued to push her. She did fine with No. 1 at home or sometimes at Grandma's, but No. 2 or going in a foreign place was impossible.

I then started trying the "known" methods. We got her different potty seats, rewards (sweets/stickers/praise), a special toy she picked out, books, a cartoon video, underpants with her favorite characters, verbal persuasion with a puppet, teaching by example through a doll that goes potty, even discipline. None of it seemed to be effective with her. The wise wizard in the book tells the king and queen the princess will go when she is ready. And Naomi said she'd be completely ready on her fourth birthday. I would not accept that and it was just accident after accident for me to clean up. So frustrating! And you can guess what happened. Naomi's birthday rolled around, and she's been dry since, even at night and on vacation, no accidents, no need for any rewards. She got her special toy at last, a Disney Princess hopscotch, which had been put away for two years (that's half her life!).

So, today I tell you I've joined the "they'll do it when they're ready" camp. Maybe with other children, they would have needed that motivation, but I should have known with Naomi's temperament (and mine) that I needed to just be patient.

completely lost:

Serving up the info:

Edit: Forgot to mention, the statue has the headdress and ears of Tawaret, but the crocodile face of Sobek (Tawaret was a fertility goddess, and Sobek a repairer of damage done to the dead that nudged things along--from that oh-so-reliable site that starts with W).

What lies in the shadow of the statue? Ille qui nos omnes servabit - “He who will save/protect us all.”


The Greek writing at the top of Jacob's tapestry is from The Odyssey: "May heaven/the gods grant you all that your hearts desires." (Edit: The second line says "theoi de toi olbia doien": "May the gods give thee blessings" Edit #2: There is also a partial third line--[...]Σ ΜΟΝΟΙ ΤΟ ΤΟΥ ΠΟΛΕΜΟΥ ΤΕΛΟΣ ΕΟΡΑΚΑΣΙ which supposedly translates to [...] alone have seen the end of war)

Some are speculating that the man with Jacob at the beginning is an Esau figure. Jacob was wearing white, the other man black.

Jacob touched all the people in their flashbacks with his hands (and did he give Hurley some kind of blessing?). These are events we knew about, either described by the characters themselves or assumed (like J&S's wedding).

I don't remember half of what I thought during the episode, though my face was probably twisted the whole time (even though the episode was actually predictable). My sinuses were messed up, too.
-I kept saying Locke was too hateful or sinister this season to be Locke. Now we see why. What a sad, sad life for the real JL, even down to how the Island he gave so much for only wanted to use him and throw him out in the end (similar to his dad).

-Like the inversion at the end? I did. Change is gonna come.
-Kind of over the top how Jack suddenly became like Rambo with the shooting there. He got kicked below the belt, clocked by a huge toolbox, shot at by the a bunch of Dharma folks, and just kept on ticking (and taking them out in one shot--whatever).
-So glad "Ricardus" didn't stick.
-I didn't like how Ben killed Jacob (I mean literally how he did it), and I wish we'd built up Jacob throughout the season rather than him just being introduced, taking over the finale, and then being taken out. And why tell Ben he has a choice and then say something to push him over the edge?
-Yay, Bernard, Rose, and Vincent! I guess they are "Adam and Eve"?
-Charlie's ring, Charlie's guitar--is Charlie making a return? Why or how did Jacob leave the cabin? Will Jin and Sun reunite? Where's Desmond? What is going to happen to Sayid and Richard? Are Juliet and Jacob really dead? How did Dr. Chang and Radzinsky live through the explosion? Eight more months...

stanford powwow / sickies again:

Every Mother's Day weekend, Native Americans gather at Stanford to perform traditional dances. Naomi liked the costumes and teepees, but thought it was too loud and didn't have any games to play. Lucas didn't have a say. I was really sick, didn't speak up until it was too late, and threw up when we got home. The room was spinning around me till 2 a.m. Lucas became pretty sick that night as well.

Last night was interesting. I was up all night for the first time with both kids (it's usually slightly staggered). I had them on either side of me in Naomi's room, administering medicine and fluids, cleaning up snot, and comforting them in turns while we all coughed. We kept waking each other up, but it was the best solution for me so that I could at least lie down if I wasn't going to get much sleep. This is when I say, "Yeah, no more kids." I think Manny's finally succumbing to it, though I've been trying to keep everyone away and let him rest. Lucas coughed right into his mouth the other day, so he never really had a chance. Ah, but our blog photos--always looks like we're just having a grand ol' time.


Naomi and me in the teepee.


Wow, so excited to take a photo with us...but we gave him a donation to make up for it. Naomi got a handmade baby roadrunner drum.


Lucas in front of the American Indian masks booth.

c's 2nd birthday:

C's 2nd birthday party at the park was fun, complete with a Korean spread including kalbi and kimbap, a balloon artist, and an Elmo theme. I was not feeling well at all, but Manny couldn't take Naomi as originally planned. I didn't want to disappoint her or the birthday girl, so I packed up the kids and went.


The friend who took this photo asked her how old she was, and she replied, "Foooooouuuur!"


Trying to get a kids' photo. How did Naomi end up in front of the cake?


The balloon artist specialized in characters--here's Spiderman.


Birthday girl with her Goofy. She also had a Mickey Mouse, but it was not as good. This was also taken by a friend.

mother of the year lol:

A friend sent me this. So fun!

naomi quotes:

Also, today Naomi has been super patient while I've been handling a sick, fussy Lucas and preparing a meal for another family. And it looks like we're free of potty accidents at last, just in time for me to find Lucas playing in the (flushed) toilet. A couple quotes:

N [holding my bible]: Mami, you need to say this bible verse to join my party on the couch.
A: What's the verse?
N: It says, "In heaven, there will be no more crying, no stopping, and there is a special place for babies in case they die. W-X 2:13,14,5."

N: Mami, if Papi lets me, I'm going to order all different colors flowers for you from flowers dot com [she saw a ProFlowers commercial on Sprout]. For Mother's Day.
A: That's so sweet! How come you're so nice?
N: Because Mami's a winner...for making dinner!
A: Did you just make that up?
N: Yep, I did it all by myself.

And even though Naomi is one to get to the bottom of things instead of letting it be "magical," sometimes we'll catch a glimpse of childhood imagination in her.
M [I'm paraphrasing]: Now you need to be careful. Did you know the man that was Superman fell and hit his head and then he couldn't move his arms or his legs anymore?
A: But...but, could he still fly?

lucas wellness check:

Lucas had his delayed 9-month check-up today. No scheduled shots. Good thing, since he caught whatever I have again. Poor babies--they can't blow their nose or cough up sputum the way adults can. And cold medicine is of course not recommended for babies. He's coughing a bit now and not sleeping well. He's lost weight recently, and now is down to the 19th percentile in weight (but 50th still in height).

Lucas appears to have a problem with milk protein digestion, same as Naomi. Manny and I have problems with dairy ourselves. He'll probably stay on Alimentum till he's one. Anyway, we're supposed to be cautious but try baby yogurt on him anyway. They also sell soy yogurt at Whole Foods, but that's a second resort. Aw, I really liked it when he was a chub.

lost--the little things:

So, looks like we're good and ready for the finale next week. Please no submarine CGI repeat, though. Here's something interesting someone found. Take a look at the woman in the back (you can click to see the full size)--is that Juliet? Now in her 60s? Weird. In the scene, "old Juliet" looks at Sun for a while then turns away quickly while grabbing something. Sun then turns around, looking back in her direction.



So, why does Locke want to kill Jacob? To free him? To become him? And why was Rico Suave Alpert so nervous about "new Locke"? I don't have any guesses. Last season I read too many spoilers and too many theories, because I was trying not to think too hard myself, so it diminished the level of entertainment. This season I avoided spoilers, but went and read the one about Faraday getting shot and by whom, which really ruined that end for me. So before the finale, I'm avoiding anything that says Lost except my precious screencaps of easter eggs.

Here's another little thing--the important background story they may never directly mention on the show: The Hanso Foundation started the Dharma Initiative after a man they hired, named Valenzetti (sp?), came up with a calculation that the world would end 27 years after the Cuban Missile Crisis. So Hanso was trying to prevent mankind destroying itself, or something like that. Also, Valenzetti supposedly came up with "the numbers." ETA: Manny just told me some more of it: The Valenzetti equation determines end of world. The result of the equation was the numbers. He wrote a book and somebody killed him. The numbers are played over and over again to try to change them and save the world. There is some virus that Hanso found that will kill most of the population but save the world, maybe--virus was tested in some South American country with success.

san diego:

Just in time for the swine flu outbreak! (It actually hit harder near home, though.) This year Naomi is four and can appreciate all that Sea World and the Zoo have to offer. She can sit attentively through the shows. She wouldn't mind playing at the beach all day, though. Lucas, who was more or less dragged along, actually surprised us with his excitement, first in clapping and oohing during a Sea World show and then at the beach. He didn't want to be put down in the sand at first, but once Naomi came over and buried his feet a little, he was sold. I was probably the one in the worst mood all three days--I was exhausted and hormonal. It's not that relaxing for me to travel with small children, but I know it's worth it for them to see the grandparents. I mean, it's not much more relaxing when we're at home anyway. Haha.

We stayed in a condo for the first time, which worked out really well. It was right on the beach and close to the attractions. It was more expensive than a hotel suite, but our family's grown, and Lucas needs his own room.

We arrived last Monday. We just took it easy and strolled through Seaport Village. I've heard it can be overrun with tourists, but it was pretty empty when we went. We ate at the Pier Cafe. Their Salmon Coronado gets a thumbs up, and I'm usually one to be timid about recommending food. The whole time I was down there, I was craving carnitas. Maybe it was all the swine flu news. We did carry antibacterial wipes everywhere just in case.

The second day, we went to Sea World. It was a cold and cloudy morning, but the sun came out unexpectedly, and we all got slightly burnt, except melanin-rich Naomi. Sea World is now affiliated with Sesame Street. We went to the Sesame Street area twice, but missed the characters both times. They also don't currently offer Breakfast with Elmo & Friends on weekdays. Too bad, but that's why it's good that Naomi's four. She had plenty else to keep her interested. She had to be lifted up to a number of the aquariums. That's one advantage about the aquarium in Long Beach--kids can walk right up to many of the exhibits. But Sea World has much more to see, of course. You can feed the flamingos, too.

At the Shamu show, Naomi wanted to sit in the soak zone. Grandma and I went up to hide, and Grandpa watched from outside with Lucas when he woke up from his nap. Naomi did not get soaked, but the people just two rows in front of her did, so she was very disappointed. The highlight of our day was the Dine with Shamu experience. We got to see Shamu and her calf up close while having a buffet lunch. They had these huge Shamu cookies. Naomi liked comparing the cookie to the killer whale, although I had bitten its head off (the cookie, not Shamu). Manny and Grandpa went on the Journey to Atlantis ride. I guess it's like Splash Mountain meets Tidal Wave. Naomi said she wished there were more rides at Sea World but had fun anyway. I can imagine that being a Sea World trainer would be a dream job for Naomi. She'd get to be center stage at a show, tell animals what to do, feed them, and be in the water. She got to pick out a toy as a souvenir from the grandparents. She got a Sea World Trainer Barbie--the black one. I guess she's closer to that than the blonde one. :)

The third day, we went to the San Diego Zoo. It was my first time there. I can't get over how cute the pandas and koalas were. I got some great videos of the primates--I think the orangutan family reminded me of us, but I won't say why. I added to my collection of animal rear photos. It's not usually intentional; the animals just tend to turn around once I take out the camera and take the photo. The zoo is very large and hilly, so it's worth it to get the bus pass, I think. Our Sit-n-Stand stroller came in very handy. We ended up skipping a few of the exhibits just to not have to walk out there. Naomi waited with great anticipation for the petting zoo all day, but they didn't have food to feed them other than grass lying around. Even the smallest zoos we've been to have animal feeding, but perhaps they wanted to minimize the mess and waste. The zoo is reportedly very green/eco-friendly.

Naomi finally got her time on the beach that afternoon. Lucas had his first experience, as I mentioned. We went to Belmont Park that night for a nostalgic dinner at Canes Cantina, where we went two years before on a similar whim. The place is not that well kept and the food is just okay, but the atmosphere and sunset view are great. Naomi also got to ride another carousel before it closed.

We considered a short stop somewhere that Thursday, but after cleaning up the condo and packing, we just ran out of juice. I was very happy to return to my in-laws' house. So was Naomi--sprinklers and pets are all she needs. So there you go. Hope you enjoyed the photos at least a bit more now with the rambling. I think I'm finally at the peak of my illness (just a cold, no swine-y symptoms). I hope it's not some sort of idol for me, but I look forward to the day I can actually rest when I'm sick (whenever that will be).

san diego trip photos:

Photos now, highlights later.

recovery:

We're all sort of recovering from the vacation. Lucas was up till 3 a.m. crying this morning, I have a persistent cough, and Manny's been dozing off every so often. Manny is out right now going to a 24-hour store to find Benadryl for Naomi. She told me her back itched, and I lifted her shirt to find her back covered in hives and scars from scratching it bloody. I thought the allergy days were behind us, but it looks like I might need to get her tested. I'll see her pediatrician this Friday for Lucas's appointment, so I'll ask. I think she told me to test Naomi at 5 last time unless the symptoms appeared severe. Naomi also threw up in the car on the drive down and on the return trip. We often don't let her eat anything since it gets all over her, so two of the three times she just threw up stomach fluid. I feel so bad for her. :(

my little party:

Grandma threw Naomi a My Little Pony party (per Naomi's request) last Saturday. Only David and Tristan were able to make it, but that's all she needed. She had the best time welcoming the grown-ups, seating them, setting up (the kids') juice boxes for them, and telling them about the schedule. She's a great hostess. She was also a little distressed that she had a girl party when only boys came. She asked me to take it down and put up something the boys would like.


The weather was perfect for an outdoor party.


Lucas eyeing Naomi's food.


Pinkie Pie piñata.


Cupcakes!


Naomi received a lot of generous presents, including this jumper house/slide. She exclaimed, "Jiggling jelly!" when she opened it.

The piñata was tough to break, so Naomi ended up pulling on the strings and then tearing it limb from limb. Naomi liked being the one to distribute candy and prizes. The kids also bowled and played pin the rainbow on the pony. Naomi's super-cute dress was a hand-me-down. She loves that it has her favorite colors on it. It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since My Little Pony came out.