but keep the old:

One of our friends mentioned how adulthood is about people coming in and out of your life.  It seems like it, which can be depressing.  But Manny, who recently joined FB (I find so many people are using it now as email or evite), took to posting photos of people who'd added him as friends.  I often wanted to post old photos, but until he joined, I hardly had any up.  Anyway, I started doing the same, and in some ways, I wanted to tell everyone that I still cared about them, that they weren't just a number on a list.  I also notice who's unfriended me, but I have to let them go and not let on that I know.  On the other hand, I've come back in contact with several people as well through FB.  On Monday, I got a message from our old friend that he was in town for his brother's wedding.  He moved to another state about 9 years ago, and I hadn't seen him since.  His kids are about the same age as mine.  I remember the things people say to me, a lot more than they probably think I do, just about every bit of advice or wisdom, and I remember quite a few things about M.  We can talk at each other some times and disagree, but it's really nice to know people whom you can just pick up where you left off, even though you may look a little different or be in a different season of life.  I'm very thankful for them.  We went out for bubble tea after he'd had lunch with a mutual friend and after school for us (we started first grade this week).  He said the kids were so well-behaved, which was great, that is, until Naomi almost ran into the street without looking.  

I was on the phone for a while that morning with the speech pathologist who will evaluate Lucas in a couple weeks.  Then we did school, met up with my friend, and went to run some errands, including getting Naomi a Lego set, but we couldn't find an affordable one she liked (she likes houses, towns, cities, etc.).  She's joining the Junior First Lego team through the ISP this year.  Should be fun!

Me and M.

Naomi has redesigned this house/stable/car set so many times.  She received the set from Manny's coworker for her birthday, and when Lucas isn't destroying her creations, she loves it!

old friend:

The one nice thing about Facebook is finding a fast way to reconnect with old friends.  So Saturday I saw A. for the first time since a friend's wedding four years ago.  We went out to lunch and then came back to our place to visit.  The kids loved having her over, and Lucas wanted her to watch him play this dance game.  He said to her, "What are YOU doing?" with the same mannerism and inflection as Joey form 'Friends,' if you've ever seen the show.  She is pretty awesome, and I'm really blessed to know her.

Mongolian BBQ.

A. and me.  ;)

yogurtland:

Friday I had to fill out a bunch of paperwork for Lucas in preparation for his speech evaluation.  The kids had to be patient in commute and while I was filling out the paperwork, so I was happy to treat them to some frozen yogurt.  It may not mean much to others, but Sanrio and frozen yogurt are a great combo for us!  Naomi got her My Melody spoon and Lucas scored a Keroppi one.  I should have asked for a Hello Kitty, but I didn't want to be greedy since I only bought two bowls.

Naomi with the cast of characters.

Lucas didn't really eat much of his yogurt, but he liked the spoon!

Naomi wanted me to take a close-up shot of her spoon.

end of summer:

Our last park playdate last Thursday felt like the end of summer for us.  We missed the last swim date the day after, which I guess would've really made it official.  Then it finally got hot this week!  We did a little school supply shopping, and I'm pretty much ready to start school next Monday.  We have our ISP kick-off next week as well.  If you'd like to see what I'm doing with homeschooling and have a blogger or Google account, feel free to ask for an invite to the private blog.  Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!

The last water play of the summer.  That's a little girl next to Naomi wearing her old swimsuit.  It's nice to be able to pass on clean clothes she's outgrown.

C getting Lucas to play tag/chase with him.  Lucas is usually very shy at the park if Naomi's off playing with other kids.

chores for the kids:

Two days ago, Naomi and Lucas were playing a train game while I was cutting out Betty Lukens flannel pieces (pretty sure three full days of my life have gone into it), and Naomi said, "Here we are at the museum. This is a robot who works all day.  She never stops working.  Go ahead, take a picture!"  I don't know why, but that got me thinking--why don't I have the kids help me more?  They help sometimes with laundry, picking up, and setting the table, but Naomi's old enough to do more now, or at least learn more.

So, yesterday, I had Naomi help me, and she did chores for over three hours!  She wiped the mirrors and the fridge (up to a certain height), picked items up off the floor, lined up the shoes, helped me sort and fold some of the laundry, cleared and wiped down the dining table, and discarded some trash.  I wanted her to do a bit of dusting and other things as well, but she needed a break.  She drew pictures of everything she did, while also making a book about the human body.  I was very proud of her.  I plan on giving her a quarter, and will determine a regular allowance for her if she keeps up the good work.  Maybe a quarter a week.  I never had an allowance, but I think it's good for her to learn how to manage money early on.  Counting money also has been challenging for her to pick up, so this is good practice.

stanford open house:

We went to Stanford football's open house event this weekend with Chris.  It's a free event, but the concession food was not!  The kids had hot dogs and we shared a cotton candy, frozen lemonade, and some soda.  They allowed everyone onto the field after a 30-minute wait outside.  Naomi got to run and dive with a football, and Lucas played catch with a mini-football after he finally warmed up a bit.  We were in line for over an hour in the sun just to get an autograph from the quarterback, who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft.  The kids actually did very well in the line, considering it's not like Disneyland where you get rewarded with a ride or show at the end of that long wait and an hour seems forever to a three or six-year-old.

Naomi receiving the pass.

Family photo taken by Chris.

Lucas in a quarterback pose.

Chris with the line behind him.  We're about halfway there.

Getting Luck's autograph.  The kids didn't know what to make of it.

Naomi running the ball.  Nice pass at the end there before she skips away.

the help:

I went to a Girls' Night Out last night with about 20+ other ladies from our church for dinner and a movie.  Manny watched the kids so I could go (thank you!).  We had a nice dinner at El Torito and then headed out to see The Help.  The movie is pretty good, although it's PG-13 due to profanity and some violence.  I haven't read the book yet, but I've heard great things about it.  I'm glad I didn't read it first, though, just because that can lead to a disappointment sometimes.  Anyway, the movie deals with a racially segregated America, where "Christian" women put on fundraisers for starving Africans but treat their African-American help still like slaves, sometimes like they are not even human.  Sometimes they see themselves as victims, while the real victims continue to just try to survive.  The housekeepers care for and raise the children, who love them in return, but many grow up to be just like their parents, unappreciative and abusive of the help.  A young writer, somewhat of an outcast of that society herself, takes on a project to get the truth out, and perhaps make a change.

The ideas still apply today, because times change but human nature doesn't.  I sometimes have a hard time dealing with friends and acquaintances speaking disrespectfully to people in service occupations or of lower status.  When I bring it up, they usually don't believe they did anything wrong, because I think some are taught that it's okay.  I think I've mentioned the rich woman who demanded a Mexican worker go out and get her a Coke when the restaurant only served Pepsi, or the lady in traffic school who said she shouldn't have been pulled over because she drives a Mercedes--there's a sense of entitlement, that they've earned the privilege to be above it all.  I also believe that charity doesn't just come in the form of events, programs, and organizations, but is a way of life (the movie shows how the affluent southern women did not see it this way).  Charity starts with compassion and mercy in our hearts towards others.  That may lead to an organized effort, but perhaps not the other way around.  So don't let it only be at Thanksgiving or Christmas that you suddenly feel an urge to give.  Let's love at all times.

teeth, hair, and diy:

I took the kids to the dentist yesterday.  Hooray, no cavities for either kid!  I had to hold down Lucas's legs, the assistant his arms, and the dentist his head.  He still almost broke free.  Poor thing.  At least he didn't have to have any additional work or x-rays done.  He was fine after he got his toy (a yellow police car, the one left).  Naomi's gums are showing some damage, and her mouth is too small, so they recommended I go back to the toddler-size brushes for her.  I had to have two of my molars pulled as a kid, because my mouth was too small (I mean the physical size, not how much I talk haha).  Good thing Lucas has Manny's better spacing.  Naomi has five permanent teeth in and a sixth on the way!  

I gave Naomi a haircut on Sunday, chopping four inches off.  It was supposed to be three inches, but she turned her head at a bad time, so I had to cut more.  I actually like cutting her hair, since we don't usually do bangs and she'll try to sit still.

Lucas in his nice new Cars shirt from Grandma, holding his new car from the dentist's office.

Naomi.

Our PlayStation drive died, but thanks to YouTube, Manny was able to replace it himself so we wouldn't have to pay for the labor.  Lucas thinks he helped fix it and is quite proud of that.  

Lucas and the PS3.  Manny took this picture.  I was a little more nervous about him holding a real screwdriver near electronics.

dinner party:

A very hospitable family had us over for a dinner party last night.  It was a sweet time, and the kids were content until they got overtired.  Five minutes before one started crying and the other screaming for joy, I was thinking how well they were doing.  :P  The menus are always exquisite there, everything being made from scratch, including the pita bread.  

My humble contribution--a rainbow fruit salad, mostly for the kids.

Dinner outdoors in their beautiful garden.

The kids played croquet while Lucas (in brown) watched and played with his cars.

C giving Naomi a garden tour.

Me and M.

Naomi finding a patient audience for her long stories.

summer coming to a close:

Wednesday morning, A (Naomi's neighborhood friend) came over and played a couple games with Naomi before she had to leave with her grandparents.  The grandparents are watching the kids during the summer while their parents are at work.  I remember at that age just being left home alone with my brother, who was only three years older, during the summer.  Now, I couldn't imagine leaving my own kids alone until their teens.

After she left, we went to catch the last half of a weekly swim date.  The last one will be next week.  Lucas isn't nervous about going in anymore.  Of course, I have to swim with him, which wears me out, so I really wasn't in the mood to go swimming again, but it was great to see Lucas so happy.  He actually dipped his head under water a couple times.  I don't have any photos, since I have to be in the water with him.  It was good to exercise.  I'm working to get in better shape this year and drop my body-fat percentage by two percent.  I gained 10 lbs in the last year.  Any more, and I'll have to buy new clothes, which I don't want to.    

Girls playing the checkers Aunt Quinka got us.

nature walk:

We went with a couple of families to a redwood park and also a neighboring grove for a short nature hike and playdate.  The kids played in the creek bed, which is dry in the summer.  They walked little trails under the redwoods and climbed a base of a tree.  Its structure was such that the kids couldn't climb up very far.  Naomi could have stayed the entire day.  Lucas took his usual two hours to warm up, and then didn't have long to squat and study dirt and fallen branches, a favorite pastime of his, before we had to go.   I wish I had brought the nicer camera--the scenery was really beautiful.  However, I think I needed my hands free with all the kids.  :)

On our walk, the kids spotted spiderwebs, flowers, berries, and all kinds of rocks.  Naomi found a triangular stone which I brought home (I usually don't want anything brought home that's been in dirt).  An optional but recommended part of Naomi's curriculum this year is to take nature walks and keep a nature journal.  Next time we go I'll try to take more photos of what we spot.  She wasn't too interested last year, but she could probably draw it and write about it now.

Naomi digging in the creek bed with a large branch.

The 6-year-olds on the tree.

Naomi on the lookout.

On our little hike.

Kids on the hay.

The kids walked in a line and sometimes reminded me of Winnie the Pooh.

Lucas and A rubbing heads in the stroller.

lunches:

Saturday I had my (now) monthly lunch date with O.  Always fun.  I was a little tired because Lucas woke up in the middle of the night with a leg cramp.  When I'm tired, I tend to talk a lot more, so I hope I didn't talk her ear off.  Good thing she had some things to tell me as well.  :)  I took Lucas grocery shopping afterward and then began cleaning for guests.  On Sunday, I was in the nursery.  We just have once service for the next few weeks.  We had a church luncheon afterward, met a nice couple, and got a better look at the community building.

I had a couple friends over for lunch on Monday.  They're ladies I'm just getting to know.  One was a teacher and the other a nanny, so they're pretty used to kids.  Either way, the kids were pretty well-behaved for the most part, although I had to remind Lucas to be gentle with the baby.  I made an easy shrimp and broccoli pesto pasta.  It turned out well (not for Manny, though--he doesn't care for shrimp or pesto).  We had French bread and fruit salad.  I try to pick ripe fruit and never add any honey anymore, which Naomi used to like in her fruit, but it takes away from the fruit.

S and L.  Lucas wouldn't leave his chair, so the table mess was included.

The kids liked rubbing D.'s belly.

more parks, more swimming:

Yep, it's still summer, and we're still out all the time, just like old times.  We had a park playdate yesterday and a swim day today at a friend's house.  School begins in three weeks, so I'm already giving Naomi the...er...three week warning.  Naomi's grown up a lot this summer.  She's asking me for an email now (well, she wanted to be able to text, but we don't have a text plan) so she can write Manny and me every now and then.  Yesterday she took my phone and called her grandma.  My mother-in-law is on my favorites list, so she didn't have her number memorized or anything, but it's interesting that she can call on her own now.  She went off to talk to Grandma in private for quite some time.  Being able to read and write has advantages--she's more independent and learning more, plus she writes me the cutest, most loving notes almost every day.  On the other hand, I also have to monitor her more.  She keeps wanting to chat and make friends online, so this is just the beginning.

Lucas has also progressed a lot.  He's loving the water, getting to know people around him, and he corrects his own speech now as much as he can.  I even let him play on the iPhone now, and he can navigate pretty well without destroying any of my data or setup.  I am a little concerned about cell phone RF, and I keep the phone away from the kids' heads whenever possible.  Naomi usually uses the speakerphone.  For info on a specific phone, see the info here.

Naomi and C., collecting their "soil" and planting their "tree."

Lucas spends so much time cleaning up the sand.

pool shower:

Recently we went to a barbecue, then a baby shower, then a pool party, and now we've attended a barbecue, pool party, and baby shower all in one.  We drove up into the hills to a friends' parents' house for this one.  Manny couldn't make it, so I was a bit scared driving that distance during rush hour and then coming home at night.  I have poor night vision (I do take vitamin A, but my astigmatism is pretty bad), so I do not usually drive freeways at night anymore.  

The party went well, except Lucas acted up sometimes.  He was grumpy that I woke him up when we got there, but once he got to flirting with a particular lady, he became a happy boy again.  The pool and backyard (down some steps from the pool) were beautiful, the food everyone brought or cooked was great, and the kids had the best time.  Naomi is now pretty familiar with all the kids, and even Lucas finally decided he wanted to get into the pool...two hours later.  He takes such a long time to warm up, then he wonders why he didn't get more time to enjoy himself.  He only got to be in it for a few minutes and then he played in the spa for a little bit.  He told Manny about how all the bubbles went in circles.  I brought a bean dip and chips, and others were kind enough to help because I had that, a sleeping boy, a giant pool noodle, the shower gift, purse, and bag of clothes/towels to carry.  We brought a snorkel, and all the kids wanted to try it, and they did.  I was so grossed out that almost every single one of them had their mouths on the mouthpiece, so I told Naomi not to use it till I'd boiled it again.  Some kids like to share, germs and all!

It was sort of a "young families" party.

Lucas quite smitten with the ladies.

Naomi wanted to stay in that pool forever.

Some of the kids in the jacuzzi.

Lucas finally gets in the water...at closing time.

reading assessment:

Our friend, who is an educator, came over to give Naomi a reading assessment.  It was part of an assignment for one of his classes.  It went pretty well.  She tested as proficiently reading at the third-grade level (using San Diego standards) and about 50% fourth-grade level, which is pretty good considering she's going into first grade at the end of the month.  She had a little trouble with a couple words that looked like other words more familiar to her, but she aced most everything else. I'm proud of her and hope that she will catch up in math as well.  One thing we needed to work on is Naomi's respect for adults and instructors.  She kept jumping ahead, sometimes interrupted with a related story (typical at her age), and didn't thank B for drawing a beautiful fairy picture for her.  Character development is part of home education as well.  Lucas was pretty good about keeping quite during their session.  I probably will pick B's brain once I start teaching Lucas to read, because Lucas struggles a lot with pronunciation.

After the assessment, Naomi continues work on her fairy book.

r birthday pool party:

We went to R's 6th birthday/pool party yesterday afternoon.  Naomi said she had the best time ever, but Lucas didn't swim or jump in the jumphouse at all.  He really needed a nap and slept all the way home.  Considering Naomi only had six days of swimming lessons, she didn't have any trouble being in the pool for two hours.  She kept wanting to go to the deep end.  She definitely needs extra supervision when she's having extra fun.  :)

Naomi and the other kids in the pool.

Lounging.

Lucas eating.

Cake time!

Naomi in the front, jumphouse in the back.

sunday celebration:

We had a family celebration at church this past Sunday.  The pastor discussed the state of the church, including the vision (which is going towards more of an emphasis on shepherding), finances, growth, and community involvement, including the neighborhood center.  Also there was a little aside about being free to worship as we'd like as long as we don't hinder others.  Our pastor really makes himself our brother, while still being our leader, and I like the way he talks to us and not at us.

We heard from a missionary/computer programmer in Japan, who helped create a program whereby one can scan a barcode on a business card into their phone and see the gospel, and who is looking at creating bible manga and anime.  It is always interesting to hear about reaching out to cultures--every community has a culture, or a mix of cultures, and understanding your audience is always important.  We heard from a family that partnered with another church to go to Haiti for a missions trip.  They received full funding the day before their departure and while in Haiti, they participated in many projects to help the poor, including providing shoes for the children.  There was one older Haitian boy who had to wear girls' toddlers shoes that were falling apart.  There were no shoes left in his size.  After she prayed, the mother in the family thought that they'd have to ship shoes to him a few weeks later, but it so happened that someone there pulled out some shoes after talking to her over dinner, and there happened to be a pair just his size.  The boy's family shaved his colored dreadlocks, something that formerly represented giving their son over to evil spirits, as a first act of their new faith.  They were impacted by the great joy with which the Haitians sang.  Like sometimes when we don't have much, we have more opportunities to see God's miraculous provisions in our everyday lives.

We had baptisms, and there have been many coming to faith through the church which we are very thankful for, and also for the communion/offering/worship time, they asked us to write a note about our lives before Christ vs. after and they put it up on the screen along with a video showing people holding signs about their own lives before and after.  I was very encouraged by it all, and see worship in a new light.

baby shower for e:

Went to E's baby shower on Saturday while Manny watched the kids.  Manny's cousin's wife had a baby shower on the same day, but we weren't able to make the trip out.

Nice backyard setup.  Perfect weather.

A photo I took from someone's Face.book.  Me on the right.  The centerpieces were cute little flowers on children's books with matching mugs.  

A delicious smorgasbord of salads and breads.  Everything was really good.  

There were three games (and I didn't win any this time).  The first was a game where you couldn't say the word "baby."  If you caught someone saying it, you would take one of the clothespins attached to her.  The second was a game where you had to guess which baby photo belonged to whom--I was like the free space, being the only Asian that submitted a photo. :)

For the last one, we would write a question related to taking care of babies on a card, pass it, and write the answer on the back side of someone else's question.  The questions and answers were read aloud (like, "How to you change a diaper?" Answer: "Clean with disinfecting wipes." or "How do you find intimate time with your husband?"  Answer:  "Diaper cream.")  The favors were brownie truffles made by another guest.

The lovely guest of honor with a monkey cake made by a friend.