veggie lovers:

Drooling over his big bowl of broccoli coleslaw.

Some children's books and cartoons that we've come across portray kids as hating broccoli or brussel sprouts.  I kind of wish they wouldn't, because I know a number of kids that like them, including ours, and it might make them think they're not supposed to.

It's actually been a challenge getting Lucas to eat anything other than fruits and vegetables (well, he'll eat sweets, but that's another story).  I made chicken, rice, and asparagus the other night, and he picked out the asparagus and left the rest.  Breaded fish, rice pilaf, and baby broccoli--dug into the baby broccoli first and asked for more.  He did eat a little fish and rice later, after seeing Manny and Naomi eat it, but not much.  Last night we had curry chicken and leftover broccoli coleslaw, and he picked out all the carrots from his curry and focused on the slaw.  He does have protein binges on occasion, but they're unpredictable.  Some doctors say to look at complete nutritional intake over the course of a week or even two rather than just one day, so I guess he's okay.  He still has no desire to eat red meat or dairy.

I do prefer this problem over him not eating any fruits or vegetables.  I've had to supplement his calcium or try to "force" Strawberry Pediasure on him.  Stores stopped carrying Banana Cream, so Strawberry is the only other flavor from which he'll take a few sips.  I have even attempted to hide meat in his vegetables.  I have often given him the meat first, but he just refuses to eat it.  Anyway, I see all these husky kids, and Lucas is so scrawny that it's hard not to compare.   

As Naomi gets older, she's becoming pickier and eating a smaller variety of fruits and vegetables.  She won't eat strawberries or any berries at all, not even in sweets, whereas she used to love them.  She's always willing to try new foods, though, and I like that about her.  I don't want the kids to be forced to eat everything like I was, but I hope they'll learn to appreciate the abundance of food we have and have a taste for variety like I do.  I can eat and like just about everything, from fast food to fine dining, although I limit processed foods and/or high fructose corn syrup whenever possible.  The only common food I really just don't like the taste of is iceberg lettuce, but I'll eat it anyway since I dislike wasting food even more.

As for Manny, when he was young, he'd go into a Chinese restaurant and get grilled cheese (no idea where they'd get that as Chinese don't eat cheese).  When I met him, he was super skinny and didn't really eat vegetables, let alone much else.  I'm glad to say now that he eats pretty well, even vegetables.  His thing is more psychological--he likes freshness and abundance, meaning he likes his food still steaming hot, freshly made, and he definitely doesn't want to pick at chicken bones the way we Chinese folks do.  :)  

repairs:

A roofing company came this morning to complete work on some damage they did while previously upgrading roofs in our complex.  They were here yesterday as well, as were workers from a "green" termite treatment company.  We can't tent and fumigate without our entire row's buy-in, so we have to do spot treatments.  It worked out really well that Manny didn't get selected for jury duty and that his bosses are out this week.  I prefer to not have workers coming in and out while I'm alone with the kids. 

baby j:

We took a meal over to J and S Monday.  I kept the visit short just to minimize the spreading of (our) germs.  The baby is so cute.  I took the kids to a park near our home afterward.  I felt really at peace there, reflecting on God's goodness and things I've learned as I age.  And boy am I aging; I threw my back out twice in the past two weeks.  It's good for me, though.  I do need to be slowed down sometimes.

Naomi took our photo. :)

sunday dinner:

Saturday we had to take the car in for maintenance and have a termite inspection. We had a lot to clean for that and for having people over, especially with me being out a lot last week, but it always feels good to clean.

D and J and their kids came over for dinner on Sunday. We had to eat in the garage to fit everyone, but it worked out. We served a taco/burrito bar, the cake pops (see prev entry), and some watermelon. They brought a yummy spinach salad. A neighbor's daughter dropped by briefly but had to return home for dinner. We did some catching up on each other's lives while the kids played or watched a movie. Lucas sort of just walked in circles around the house and kept himself occupied. The kids love having people over, as do we, but Naomi was not satisfied with "only" three hours with her friends.

Broiled flank steak (dry-rubbed with kosher salt, garlic powder, cumin, and allspice) and grilled chicken strips.

Help yourself!

We love our new kids' table!

cake pops:

I made some chocolate cake pops this weekend.  Naomi helped, too.  They're super easy, and I'm actually getting some practice because I might attempt to make these Hello Kitty cake pops for Naomi's next birthday (but no promises--they look difficult).  The basic pops are pretty easy to make.  Take the cake ball recipe and add lollipop sticks.  Dip the sticks in the melted chocolate and insert halfway through each ball.  Fun to make with kids!

Devil's food cake from a box with whipped chocolate frosting rolled in Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate.  A little rich for me, but a chocolate lover's dream.  

After the chocolate hardens.

My little helper. Grandma got her the hat, apron, and a mitt last Christmas.

vbs:

Last week, Naomi had Vacation Bible School from 9 a.m. to noon everyday.  She did very well.  The theme last year was fitness and nutrition, and this year it was Western.  While Naomi was in class, sometimes I spoke to other parents, sometimes I ran errands, one day I went to a friend's house, but whatever I had planned usually changed, and I was fine with that.  Lucas had his good and bad moments.  

A couple moms I met weren't Christian.  They said they just wanted to put their kids in a local summer program/activity.  I remember going to a bible school program as a kid in Houston.  My mom didn't care for it, but I just hopped on the van and went.  I was only 9, but I was given a lot of independence.  It didn't really mean anything to me at the time, but I was introduced to the bible.  I got ribbons for memorizing verses even though I had no bible.  And it just took maybe 8 years to get from my head to my heart.

Crafts galore.  I like how Naomi sees herself with pink hair and Jesus with dark brown skin (but still the blue eyes).

For our records (when Manny asks, I can just pull up the blog):

Day 1:  Who Am I?/Creation

Story:  Genesis 2:4-23, God Creates People

Verse:  Psalm 139:14

Crafts:  Creation book and paper doll of self.

Day 2:  Does God Care About Me?

Story:  Genesis 45:1-14, Joseph Recalls God's Provision

Verse:  1 Peter 5:7

Crafts:  Star/Badge necklace and Christ watercolor puppet.

Day 3:  What is God's Plan for Me?
Story:  Luke 19:1-10, Jesus Visits Zacchaeus
Verse:  Jeremiah 29:11
Crafts:  Paper bag puppet and bookmark.

Day 4:  How Can I Be Like Jesus?
Story:  Luke 4, 5 and Mark 6:30-46, Jesus Our Example
Verse: Philippians 2:5 and John 13:34
Crafts:  Door knocker.

Day 5:  What Do I Do Now?
Story:  Php 4:4-9, Go to It!
Verse:  James 1:5
Crafts:  Cowboy/girl hat.

party by the lake:

Dropped Naomi off at VBS, bought groceries with a fussy toddler, went home and put them away/changed and fed Lucas/packed stuff up, ran out to buy a gift, got gas, set appointments, discussed HOA stuff with our neighbor, changed the kids in the car, then drove 40 minutes out to S' third birthday party just in time for the pizza!  I think "just in time" has been the theme of this week!  I used to often pretend that something started ten minutes before it was supposed to just to get there early (crazy), but there wasn't any way to do that this week's schedule.  And after 8 hours of walking and commuting, I finally made it home to begin cooking and chores.  The home has been neglected this week, and wow, does it add up!

Back to the real topic, we had lots of fun at the party.  Summer weather, water play, beautiful setting, cute kids, cupcakes, can't go wrong.  They had to move the party to the other side of the lake because the water play area was being fixed, but it was fine since Lucas loves to walk, and he liked the lake and the resident geese.  We walked around maybe 2/3 of the lake.  Lucas catnapped on the way there in the stroller, but walked pretty much the entire way back.

Birthday girl with her baby sister and a friend.

Naomi had so much fun, but stopped playing when the boys arrived.  Boys can be so rough!

Naomi and S playing together.

Happy girl, until the big boys arrived.

Lucas, on the other hand, liked watching the boys play rough and getting splashed occasionally.

Going for a short walk.

The birthday girl's mom wrote a sweet and fun poem for her.  I guess Naomi wanted to be part of it.

Enjoying our walk back.

He calls geese "caw caw" because I messed up and taught him that instead of "honk honk."  The sound is more like "caw" to me, but I realize that's reserved for the crow.

The geese were crossing behind him in a line.  I take too long to get the new camera to focus!

naomi's gymnastics finish:

Naomi had her last gymnastics class on Thursday afternoon.  I don't know if/when I'll enroll her again.  Lucas needs his nap, and I want to take it easy as Naomi starts kindergarten.  It was a good class, and Naomi's favorite of the lot.  She was the most naughty in this class, though.  Too much fun, maybe.  It's probably partly because in her previous gym class, for tots, the point of the class was to run amok on the apparatus.  I have to remind her it's different now.

Lucas really enjoyed watching them, and the kids kept saying hi to him or running over to hug him, so I had to move him away.  The one time he left me was to go put my shoes properly into the cubbies.  Good job!  

Naomi the monkey on the parallel bars.

She finally pushed herself up on the bar after all these months!  We were all proud of her.  

She loves the rings even though they're scary, she says.

Catching the hula hoop.

M hugging Lucas.  That's so nice to see, esp. since he bit her at Naomi's birthday party.

play day at j's:

Today I dropped Naomi off at VBS (Vacation Bible School), bought some cake supplies, then took Lucas to J's house.  Even though Lucas only slept about 8 hours last night (usually toddlers sleep 11-12 hours at night, and Lucas sleeps about 9-10), he had such a blast.  J and I talked about everything from family life to religion to current events, but mostly about managing the home and our kids.  Even talking to them about the birds and the bees.  It was great, and I'm really excited for her because her husband is no longer working night shifts.  The job sort of fell in his lap, and is a tremendous answer to prayer.

I had to pick Naomi up around noon, and normally Lucas is so clingy I can't leave him with anyone.  But when I went to get him, he pointed and said, "Go!"  So I said see-ya.  I threw my back on Monday wrestling Lucas off Naomi, so any opportunity to not have to carry him is a welcome respite.  J said Lucas didn't ask for me once while I was gone.  I came back with Naomi so she could play with the boys.  Lucas was still thrilled with all the toy cars and trains and J's baby daughter.  A and her son TJ had also arrived after dropping a friend off at the airport.  So, we all got to hang out.  TJ is totally a model baby/toddler--he's cute, happy, smart, and looks sharp.  A does a great job.

T showing Lucas their fish.

The older kids squeezing in to rock together.

ramen video:

This was from the day we returned from Sacramento. I'm glad Manny told me to take the video. Nothing eventful, just a nice (and kind of gross) memory. Excuse the mess.

lucas, 23 months old:

Just one more month till our Lucas turns two!  He's been showing signs of the terrible twos, but it's nothing compared to Naomi at this age, so no sweat.  I miss my mellow baby sometimes, but I like that he's growing up, too.  Most of his tantrums involve not being able to do things all by himself, his cars coming unaligned, or not being allowed to eat directly out of a large container.  He gets so upset he yells, "Bye bye!" and runs off to go hide in a corner or throws things around.  On occasion, he'll bite or pull hair, but it happens less often now, probably with training.

Lately we've been hearing a lot of "mine."  "Mine this."  "All mine."  "No, mine."  On the other hand, when I tell him no he can't have or do it, he'll often just say "Oh" and put it back or walk away.  Very cute.  He says a little more now, often calling Naomi.  He calls out, "Nay-na!" all the time.  It's sweet to see them playing a little more together.  Some other words he says often now are "craw" (draw), a lot of animal sounds, bike, fish, amen, and shoes. 

He's really rough and energetic but also timid and clingy.  I hear that's typical with boys.  He's also messy.  I love page protectors--I wish I could put the house in one.  His coordination is pretty good, and he's quite a monkey like his sister.

Other stuff:
-Mixes up the sign language for "thank you" with blowing kisses, so he usually blows a kiss with his thank you (to everyone else but me).  To me, he just nonchalantly says, "tank" (thanks), takes it, and walks away.
-I like that he often cleans up after himself.  That's his best habit.  Sometimes he'll take it all out again, though.  If he spills something, he'll try to wipe it up.
-He counts, "theee, theee, theee" instead of 1, 2, 3.  A, B, C usually comes out "B, B, B" unless he's repeating me.
-Loves babies.
-Will sit on the potty sometimes and think he's going and then when he's "done" he grabs the toilet paper.  Usually he goes in his diaper then decides he wants to go on the potty.
-Cutest pout and puppy dog eyes ever.  I have to look away!
-Cars and trains (and food) are his life.  That's how I found out he knew the word "buy."

Edited to add:  Favorite game/project right now is to take things out of a box or bucket, have someone line them up neatly or do it himself, study his work from every angle, have us count his objects, then return or rearrange them.  Reminds me so much of his dad.  I feel like I'm with a little Manny all day.  :)

pleasant surprise:

It's becoming a pattern that I only get 2-5 hours of sleep (not by choice) the night before we go to G.ilroy Gardens.  I still find it more relaxing than being at home with overtired kids.  Maybe it's the greenery.  We bumped into a couple other families there, so Naomi got to see her friend B twice within a few days and C three times.  And here she was a little sad that we weren't going with anyone else.  Of course, afterward she named a few more friends whom she wanted to see.  I can't keep up with her social calendar.  Haha.  I was kind of worried I was invading their (the families') space, but it was probably just me.

Lucas apprehensive about the ride.

This had been Naomi's favorite ride since she was one, but she got too sick on it this time, maybe because she's bigger now and feels the drops more.

Don't we all look thrilled at the Care Bears show?  lol  It was kind of disappointing.  It had only one Care Bear in it.  Lucas liked the music, though.

Nice photo taken on C's dad's iPhone and emailed to me on the spot.

The wait for the train was long, but at least we ended up in the front.  We just did the train and the carousel before we parted ways.

The girls yelled out, "Cookies!" on the ride.  It's what C says instead of "Cheese" for photos.

happy father's day:

Father and son.

Happy Father's Day to Manny, who brings so much love, wisdom, and hilarity into our children's lives.  Naomi made Manny a card last night using her own words. The front said, "Book of Dads" and inside, "I <3 Dad," "Thank You Pops," and "Yes" and "No" with checkboxes next to them (she said that was to answer if he liked the card or not). We went to G.ilroy Gardens, an amusement park. That's really what Manny wanted to do on Father's Day--just spend a fun day with his family.  :)

weekend visitors:

On Saturday we had some friends over for lunch.  I made some simple cashew chicken, beef chow mein, and braised tilapia.  The fish didn't turn out as well this time--I think they over-fried it and I didn't add enough water.  D and V brought their baby, and Naomi cannot stop talking about how cute she was.  Me either.  :)  Our place is pretty small downstairs, so it gets crowded, but they were gracious.  Sometimes I covet more room for people to sit, a backyard, or tile that's not from the 70s, but then I count my blessings and think about the love and laughter that fills our home and the dear friends and family who have come by to share it with us.  It's pretty swell.  :)  We can afford our home and so we're not always talking about the mortgage, and we can put what we save toward other things.  Everyone spends their money differently, and how we currently live suits us well.  Anyway, the babies had to nap, and Naomi asked J to play a bit of her video game with her.  It wasn't enough for her.

Good thing Chris then came over as he's in town for a while, and Naomi said it was the best day.  She and Lucas can't seem to get enough of hanging out with people.  But then maybe I want to talk to Chris about something, and of course, he and Manny need time together, too.  They actually went out for breakfast on Father's Day.  That was nice, as there was no way I could do breakfast in bed for Manny having just gone to sleep around the time Lucas' crying woke Manny up (at 5:30 a.m.).  I think Lucas is getting his last molars, which I mistakenly thought were in already.  Excruciating.  He's drooling a lot again, and he just drooled in my mouth.  Yuck!

Here we all are.  :)

Cashew chicken with zucchini and oyster sauce.

Braised tilapia, which was not as good this time.  Generally, you should put raw green onions and ginger on top for a crisper look and taste, but I cook the ginger into the sauce.

The kids adored Baby K.  I miss Lucas' Bumbo days.  :)

 Chris playing with the kids.

eating in peace and playdate:

I forgot to mention that while I was out with just Lucas, I bought myself a zhong-zi for $2.  It's a Chinese sticky rice triangle wrapped in leaves, sort of like a tamale.  It's one of my favorite foods, and I savored every bite.  That's what I often want/like to do when I get a little break--buy myself a little something that I like to eat.  When I was heavily pregnant with Lucas, I dropped Manny and Naomi off at the airport, then proceeded immediately to a bakery to buy a chocolate croissant.  I love food, especially food that I don't get to eat too often.  I wouldn't trade our family meals for anything, but eating in peace once in a while is pretty grand.  :)

We got together with J and her kids on Friday.  I was supposed to pick up my contacts near the park and completely forgot.  My mind has been all over the place lately!  (Ok, maybe always.)  It was a great time and a great park we hadn't been to before.  I've probably been to 20 or so different local parks now, and before we had Naomi I drove by a lot of them and never noticed.  Now I scope them out.

I cherish these playdates--we won't be able to do them so often once Naomi starts school.  Playdates are a nice way for me to get some adult interaction and catch up with friends, but then there's that balance/dilemma between supervising small children and giving undivided attention to another adult.  It's easier with fewer kids, but it used to be that I would sometimes end up watching a large group of kids by myself.  Manny would, too, at places or events where he was present.  It would be rather stressful, and I'd wonder if the other moms just didn't care or worry as much or what, but I sort of figured out my own rules about it over time.  They're not perfect rules by any means, but I guess it's the best compromise for me for now.

Wee!  Fun but rough slide--Naomi ended up ripping the seat of her leggings!

Flying our kites.  Lucas had to wait his turn.

Yay!  His first time flying a kite!

ups and downs:

On Thursday, a fabulous friend offered to watch Naomi so that I could just take Lucas out on some lengthy errands (not as easy with two).  Also, her daughter C likes to play with Naomi, and Lucas likes alone time with me, so everybody wins.  We don't have family closeby and can't always pay someone, so this is a huge favor to us.  After a snack, I took the kids for a nature walk.  Naomi used to stop and smell the flowers at Lucas' age (ok, apostrophe experts, is it Lucas's or Lucas'?).  Lucas is more into stomping on anything out of place, like trash or odd branches.  Their differences are amusing.

Lucas following Naomi through the woods.

Naomi had her gymnastics class after that. Next week will be her last class (and my last chance to remember to get the camera when she's on the rings--pretty cool).  She did something terrible after class.  While I was getting Lucas, she ran out the door and took half the other students.  She hid in the enclosed woodsy area near the class where I had taken them for the little hike. Six kids and four moms were calling out her name. She would pop up sometimes, see me, and run the other way. I was upset by her defiance, but more disappointed that she endangered her friends and led them astray. Kids often follow her, and I just don't want it to be to their demise. I was saddened by her decision to do something she knew was wrong and causing other children to stumble with her. I didn't get angry at her at home (I've been working on that), but I just told her I was very sad about it. She cried and said she felt very sorry. In the end, I know showing her my sorrow rather than my frustration is the way to reach her heart. Safety is something I cannot just let her learn the hard way.  I probably "helicopter parent" way too much, but things happen the second you look away.  I think I've learned that I can't do everything and be everywhere, but I can try to be smarter about it and teach Naomi ahead of time to make better decisions.  And most important is how I react after something does happen.

more summer fun:

We went to Happy Hollow today with another of Naomi's little friends.  I was glad to be there with another mom of two.  B is two years younger than Naomi, but they get along fine.  Lucas was very happy to hang out with friends, especially seeing another baby (B's little sister).  We did the rides and petting zoo area, which we'd skipped last time.  We had to skip the train this time, even though Lucas motioned that he wanted to get on it, but Lucas forgets more easily than Naomi ever did.  :)

Smiling at each other during the swing ride.  She's starting to feel motion sickness, but she still wants to get on and be with her friends.  

At lunch, Lucas got out of my lap to sit with the other kids and told me to go away.  :(

The girls on the ladybug ride.

Lucas and Naomi in the firetruck-ish car.

The girls found a butterfly.

 

Then, they found a huge butterfly!

Naomi up front during The Pied Piper puppet show.

As usual, I occupied Lucas with food on the sidelines.  He was pleased.

I got a big pile of pellets for a quarter to feed the barn animals, but the kids didn't want to touch them.  I ended up feeding this cow myself.

Naomi mid-leap.