japanese fun:

We've had to postpone some get-togethers due to illness, but we're all finally on the mend and will hopefully get together soon.  Naomi had requested a Japanese-themed party, so we went ahead and used up the materials we had left and did a Japan Day at home.  We skipped the bento sandwiches since we'd done it before.  We made candy sushi and shared it with our life group.  I thought they were too sweet with the fruit roll-ups, but I also don't really eat candy.  I think if you can make or find your own fruit leather, it might reduce the sweetness.  The other kids thought they were really good, though.

Candy sushi.

The kids chowing down on edamame.

Fukuwarai, which means lucky smile in Japanese, is like Pin the Tail on the Donkey but with faces.  

Naomi and I made a Hello Kitty cake.

the good news:

I saw a few pages from Naomi's journal recently.  In it she wrote about the royal wedding, her recent illness, and the tornadoes.  I tell her the news sometimes and pray with the kids, but I filter out certain details, because like me she might dwell on it for some time.  It is heartbreaking to read stories like this and to see the firsthand videos.  To help a child understand that suffering is still part of God's plan, although we brought it into the world ourselves, is pretty tricky.  Yet examples abound where God uses such suffering to draw people to Him.

There was a man with whom Manny shared the good news of Christ a couple years ago when that person was going through a dark time.  That person became a Christian, and it's been a joy for us to hear of his new life.  This doesn't mean a life void of suffering or struggles, but a new outlook, motivation, and drive in the Spirit.  Manny spoke to him this past weekend, and we learned that his father has been diagnosed with a terminal illness with only six months to a year to live.  He read Psalms to him while his uncle translated for his father.  His father now says he has received Christ.

We heard a great sermon on Sunday on Ephesians 2:11-3:13 from one of the pastoral interns.  It's been rare to hear someone address racial segregation in the church from the pulpit.  He said we will play on the same team or go into the battlefield with one another, yet why can we not worship together?  Yet in heaven, we will see people from all different tribes and nations.  Sometimes people think of church and just think of one type of person, though Christ is for all.  And we are fellow citizens of the faith.

fun with friends:

Saturday was a very nice day with a couple friends.  In the morning, Manny and Chris went out for breakfast.  They returned with lunch and then watched the kids so I could go to the supermarket alone.  We played a couple rounds of Michael Jackson Experience before Lucas had to nap.  Later in the evening, A came over.    We went out to Pot Sticker King.  They're called that, but we think the potstickers are a bit on the heavy side.  However, their scallion pancakes, braised pork and bean curd sticks, combination pan-fried noodles, and sauteed green beans were pretty good.  We returned home for pie and ice cream, before we played some more PS3 Move games.  The kids really like Chris and A.  Naomi said it was the best day ever (she said that every day all weekend).

Nice workout!

Potstickers.

A with the kids looking at a virtual pet game.

happy hollow:

Manny was able to get Friday off, so we got to go to Happy Hollow as a family, although he got a lot of calls, which was fine by me.  They opened a new bridge and parking lot just last week, so now we don't have to walk all the way around the park to get to the entrance.

Crossing Bent Bridge.

Naomi has enjoyed the ladybug ride since she was a toddler, and she also got to ride it backwards that day.  She said she felt sick, but got on three times anyway.

A spinning papasan, but for Lucas's sake, we couldn't spin it as fast as Naomi wanted.

Naomi really likes parrots, although she said she'd never want one for a pet.

Naomi's tall enough to get across on her own now.

The jaguar taking a nap up in the tree.

These goats and others had climbed up on logs and barrels while we were taking photos.

At a vista point atop the petting zoo.  Lucas wouldn't go in due to all the poop.

But he was really mesmerized by the caretaker grooming the miniature horses.

Naomi had fun at the kid zone, making friends.

Most smiles from Lucas all day was hiding out under this play structure.

Similar picture to last year's.

In line for the train ride.  Lucas didn't want to smile, but he had fun on the ride.

Naomi swinging very high.  After all the students on field trips departed, she got this swing all to herself.

sweet sorrow:

One nice thing about little girls is that they usually like to make cards.  I've always enjoyed these little surprises, but now that Naomi can write, I'm really touched by the messages she writes as well.  She makes apology cards every now and then, and here is one from yesterday.  I've been thinking I ought to make her one, too.  :)  We've all been sick off and on for the past week (well, me for over a month), but most everyone is recovered now.  I still have a cough with colored phlegm.  It might also have to do with allergies, as my phlegm goes into overproduction when I'm outside.  Our area is facing the worst pollen in many years, and it's probably prolonging a lot of illness.

Cutie-patootie Naomi.

It says, "Dear Mommy. Im sorry that I was being Bad. So I made this card for you.  Love Naomi."  She used scented markers and drew what the scents were.  I can't quite figure out the black one with wavy lines.

awana graduation:

Naomi graduated from her first year in Awana Sparks this past week.  I'm very proud of the year she's had.  She finished all her verses in her first book and most of them in the review book.  After the ceremony, we had ice cream sundaes.  

It's sad because the church will no longer be continuing with the Awana program, and Naomi really wanted to maintain the same leaders, team structure, and building, so she's hesitant to go back.  I don't really want to force her to go week after week, so we'll see what we decide for the fall.  Maybe we'll skip a year until Lucas goes into Cubbies, I don't know.  It's not necessary for her to be in it, but it was a great program and she loved being there.  

Heading into the ceremony.

Lucas watching at the beginning.  By the end, he was a bit restless.  He was actually dressed in clothes that matched better, but had an accident right before we left.  

Sparks (K-2nd grade).  We were way in the back.

The Chances presenting the special Citation Award.

Family photo with everyone looking and smiling = mission impossible.

Here's a clip of Naomi doing the Fruit of the Spirit song.  She's on the left.

parent-teacher conference:

We had our last ISP conference of the year this week, and Naomi did very well.  The principal said she was proud of me.  Sometimes I need to hear it, too!  :)  Starting next year, I will probably start submitting Christian curriculum materials, and I'm thankful this program is flexible enough to accept them.

We went over Naomi's nursery rhymes Literature Pockets, now compiled in one book. When asked to recite "Peas Porridge Hot," she stopped midway to ask why anyone would eat peas that are nine days old. She also mentioned wherever the versions differed from how she originally learned them. She also showed some of her writings and drawings from her Draw and Write Notebook, a lot of "I like" this or that.  We submitted a sample spelling test, and Naomi was asked to spell words from it like "breakfast" and "bread," which she did. The principal said that one of the older kids in class had misspelled something. Naomi told her the correct spelling, and the student didn't believe her, but the principal stepped in because Naomi was actually right. We're not polishing my knuckles or anything yet.  She gets tripped up all the time.  She seems to spell food or food-related words the best.  :)

Naomi has improved tremendously in math since we switched to a different curriculum.  Flexibility is one of the advantages I have in teaching at home. She drew a little girl while the principal read the word problem, and Naomi answered correctly right away. I would have preferred her to give her full attention, but Naomi is an audio thinker/learner, and I know it registers even when she's multi-tasking.  It's just more the display of respect.

We talked about Pennsylvania and Maryland. When asked about Pennsylvania, Naomi blurted out chocolate, pretzels, cheesesteaks, and a cracked bell. Haha.  For science, we are currently covering the body/anatomy, and this is probably the weakest she's been with regards to science and remembering what she's learned. It would probably help to have a 3-D model, but we're not ready for that yet.  But we just started this week, and I think she'll have it down in no time at all.

Nursery Rhyme pockets. We just have Sing a Song of Sixpence left. You can't see it that well, but I like how Naomi colors and chooses colors. The peas that are cooked are darker than the ones not in the pot, for example. She has great attention to detail and a decent sense of aesthetics.

h's birthday party:

One of Naomi's friends from gymnastics class had her birthday party this past Sunday afternoon at (again!) the same venue of the last two birthday parties we attended.  Naomi decided to try rock climbing this time.  She was a little bummed they took out the boxing ring, but she was happy with the ball cannons they put in its place.  Have you ever seen 'American Gladiators'?  It reminded me of the tennis-ball air cannons which the suspiciously muscular gladiators would aim at contestants below as they (the contestants) maneuvered through an obstacle course and made sometimes laughable attempts to shoot back with inadequate weapons.  

Naomi has been injured in these last two parties due to children not following or being aware of rules, but it's always an opportunity for us to discuss balancing justice and forgiveness.  Also, sometimes our reaction can overshadow any wrongdoing by someone else, and we have to be responsible for our response.  A boy hit Naomi square in the face with the end of a jousting pole after she asked him not to.  I even told him he needed to be careful (and call me old-fashioned, but a boy should never be that aggressive toward a girl).  But because Naomi sulked about it, he actually told her that she wasn't supposed to fight at the party!  It's something I've run into, so I try to help her.  By the third hit to the face, I was livid inside, but I let the parents of the kids deal with it.  One dealt with it and the other said she would talk to her son, but nothing came of it.

In the party room, the hostess asked if anyone wanted fruit or vegetables, and almost all the children declined.  It might be peer pressure, school lunches, cultural influence, family lifestyles, or any combination of factors.  Seeing Naomi raise her hand in excitement for them, I learned to appreciate more what I have, because lately I'd been getting annoyed at how picky the kids are becoming, even though if I took a step back I could see that they eat a decent variety of healthful foods.  On the other hand, Naomi was hoping for juicier carrots and fresher cucumbers (the venue supplies them), and that's where sometimes being able to offer them the best at home may make it harder for our kids to be fine with less.  

Manny watched Lucas again, so Naomi and I got more mommy-and-me bonding time.  Lucas gets overwhelmed by noise and music at parties, even telling me today that "happy birthday song is too loud," so when I told him where we were going, he didn't make any efforts to come along.  I only took mobile phone photos, so these are a little blurry.  Fun times.

Naomi on the rock climbing wall.

Naomi shouting something about boys versus girls.

She was focused more on quantity than quality.  :)

Group photo.  Mostly all kindergarteners.

About to sing happy birthday to the two kids.  The party apparently became a joint party sort of at the last minute, so we celebrated two birthdays in one.  

mother-daughter tea:

Naomi and I went to a mother-daughter tea, an outreach hosted by our church.  We were encouraged to wear hats.  There were newborn girls and great-grandmothers.  Some "adopted" other ladies, so it wasn't strictly for mothers and daughters.  I was a little nervous about Naomi.  She gets bored sometimes if she can't play with friends, but they let the girls mingle periodically.  It was very well done, and we could see the care and love put into everything.

We enjoyed conversation over tea sandwiches and desserts, listened to an encouragement to make time for others, had our photos taken and created our own teapot frames for them, and partook of a gift bonanza.  Actually, Naomi received a pair of large kitchen gloves, and I encouraged her to accept it with gratitude, because that's what Manny or I would do, but she didn't see a problem with politely asking for an exchange, and so I let her.  She returned beaming with a girls' craft in hand.  :)

Naomi told me she was surprised what a great time she had, and so was I!  I will cherish this memory, and I hope she will, too.  Thanks to Manny for watching Lucas so we could go.

Naomi admiring our table with a beautiful spread of real azaleas, scrumptious sandwiches and scones, lemon curd, and of course, tea.  

Enjoying drinking lemonade out of her teacup.  :)

Her favorite was the mini cheesecake.

Naomi got to decorate this frame and really filled it up!  It has a verse, "Love one another" on the base.

Naomi and her friend R.  There's that toothless grin.

I love being her mom!

naomi lost another tooth:

One of Naomi's top front teeth fell out on Friday during dinner.  She said it didn't really hurt.  Lucas had accidentally knocked it a bit loose the day before.  Although I'm a little sad to see her grow up so quickly, I was mostly overjoyed.  Good riddance to that tooth, one of four which had become so stained and damaged in her infancy from the constant vomiting and fluorosis.  I'm just fine with losing this reminder of her suffering each time she smiles.

photo time:

April 2011

March 2011

mom's day weekend:

We had planned to see an author/friend Saturday on the first stop of her tour (Diversity in YA), but we were too sick to make it out there.  So we just tried to take it easy while Naomi played with a couple neighborhood boys.  I took Lucas for an overdue haircut.  I asked for a speedy cut this time, and that's what we got.  They just buzzed most of it off, and we were done.  Even though Manny was sick, he grilled up some delicious food for us.  The nights have become so cold again after a recent heatwave.  Lucas seemed really tired on Sunday morning.

On Mother's Day, Manny surprised me with two dozen pink and white roses.  I used to think that real flowers were dead anyway and not useful apart from potpourri, but now I think that even though nothing material lasts, the pleasant memories do.  

At church, I came away changed by another good sermon from our pastor, and the kids did well in their classes.  We moved Lucas up to the toddler class last week.  He didn't cry, but was not very happy when it came time to clean up the toys for the lesson.  He didn't know what to think of the lesson, so he just stood in the back corner of the room.  This week he cried at the start, and the teacher said she decided to pray and he stopped.  He was fine afterward and participated in the craft (this is only a recent thing).

After church, Manny took us out for Mediterranean kabobs.  Naomi loved it, but Lucas complained about the saffron in his rice.  The owners then brought him plain basmati rice and everything was fine.  Not that we wanted to give in to him, but he calmed down when they offered the rice, so we just let it be and enjoyed our meal.  We then went to Target with a couple toy recall vouchers.  At home we rested.  The neighbors came by, but we didn't allow Naomi to play with them this time.  Naomi wanted to play Scrabble, and she did pretty well for her first time.  Manny isn't big on word games, but I enjoy them.  I still have an overproduction of colored mucus, and stomach pains from the antibiotics, but I'm feeling a little better.  We had a simple dinner and fairly quiet evening, a nice end to a pleasant weekend.

Out for Mother's Day.

Lucas happy with his plain rice.

Scrabble.

c's birthday party:

We went to C's 4th birthday party last week.  It was at the same venue as Naomi's.  We pulled up, and Lucas said, "The song might scare me!"  At this party, the music was much more quiet.  I didn't know that you could bring your own music, or I would have done that for Naomi's.  I wasn't aware of a number of things I could do at the venue, because I didn't see it in writing or know to ask.  The dynamic at this party was different with the younger kids.  There weren't kids waiting in line for the rock climbing.  The kids also weren't as aware of the rules, or maybe it wasn't enforced.  At our party, one of the moms told me that our supervisors were much more strict about the kids following rules than at the last party she'd attended there.  I guess it just depends.  I myself didn't see the sign warning about tiles being slippery, so I ran to grab a toddler that had fallen and then slipped myself.  Later on, I fell again when attempting to pick up another toddler, and partially squashed him.  I guess my panic just made it worse, so now I know better.  The kids sat so well at the lunch table while the birthday girl was on the throne, unlike at our party where they were all clamoring to sit with Naomi in her throne (and she was more than happy to oblige).  :)  I don't have permission to publish close-up photos of the kids, so here are just a few with Lucas and Naomi.  

Lucas actually playing for a couple minutes before being nervous again.  I wasn't feeling well enough to go into any bouncers with him.

Playing with the tee.

Naomi and the birthday girl.

teacher appreciation week:

Naomi made these for her Awana leaders last week.  Something sweet about girls, and some boys, is their desire to make cards for others and make it very personal.  She couldn't wait to give them the cards.

moms' day:

Happy Mother's Day to my mother and mother-in-law (and really all the women who have taken care of others)! I read this quote the other day that said when we pass, what we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others lives on. It made me think of all the mothers and caretakers and their legacy. Let's salute and honor them, as well as the memories of those no longer with us.   

bronchitis:

I went to Urgent Care last night after a few days of blood in my phlegm, and almost three weeks of green mucus, just to make sure the lack of improvement wasn't anything serious.  I didn't have any other symptoms anymore aside from fatigue, so I thought I could beat it at first.  The doctor prescribed some antibiotics, which I typically try to avoid, but it's clearly a bacterial infection.  I'll be taking lots of probiotics.  I had a choice whether to get the albuterol inhaler, which makes me jumpy.  The wheezing wasn't serious but I have asthma and lower lung capacity.  It's just slight so I can avoid daily intake of albuterol, but it's enough to aggravate the symptoms.  Glad to know it's "just" bronchitis.

national day of prayer, peace:

This week at the Women's Bible Study, we covered the topic of the peace the Christ gave and gives us.  We had a chance to pray over our nation and leaders, for our troops, missionaries, tourists, everyone overseas.  Not just that they'll be safe but also to reach people.  Peace isn't only being still and calm.  It's not the absence of conflict, excitement, or even pain; it can actually be quite the contrary.  It is a harmonious relationship between ourselves and God, ourselves and others.  You can have peace and still have differences of opinion, exclaim your joy, and even grieve.  Christ's peace is beyond our comprehension.  When we pray, it guards our hearts and minds in Christ.  (Philippians 4:6-7).

I got called in to the nursery briefly because the toddlers were fighting and Lucas needed to be disciplined.  I told him to "make peace" as always, and after having discussed the above, it had a new meaning for me.  Lucas replied, "No make peace.  They fight with me!"  I think he was saying that they were fighting with him first or also, but it doesn't matter.  We have to make every effort for peace regardless of the other person, and I know Lucas retaliates with great anger.  When Manny asked him about Awana, he just said, "I angry today."  Anyway, other parents were contacted as well, so it was just one of those nights.  In other news, Naomi's team won for the eighth time at Awana, a tie this time.  Just two weeks till the awards ceremony.

larissa visiting:

We had lunch with Larissa Tuesday, and she's returning tonight to stay over our place before she heads out in the morning.  She's a musician and TV host (and wife of another musician), so I can publish her name.  :)  I'm still feeling under the weather, so it was kind of hard for me to herd my little sheep at the outdoor mall and focus on Larissa, too.  I kept having to cut off our conversation.  A lot of cars came and went, but we managed to stay safe.  It may be challenging, but I appreciate Larissa's taking time out to visit with us and being gracious.  Please pray for me to get over this sinus infection and lingering cough.

Naomi rearranging the outdoor chess set.  They hadn't set it up properly.

Lucas defeated them all.

Lucas sat down to enjoy the water fountain.

Naomi took this photo of us.