politics and faith:

An important sermon entitled, "Should a Christian vote Democrat or Republican?"  Manny and I have had many of these views and convictions for years, but it's often difficult for me to figure out how to talk about it with those who believe the Republican agenda is God's agenda.  Sometimes I think the reason for things seeming to fall apart in this country isn't one leader but the failure of the church to live the gospel out to those around us.  On the other hand, things aren't so much worse off than before.  In this article, if we look at statistics, violent crime is on the decline, and there aren't more mass shootings in the U.S. than elsewhere.  However, I wouldn't say "nothing" is wrong.  The world is indeed fallen.  But whenever people say they want to go back to the 50s with lower crime and divorce rates and when "Christianity" seemed more prevalent, I may not say it, but I'm usually thinking about segregation, the crises in marriage that led to women's lib, and as Manny had reminded me, how what society looks like isn't necessarily who we really are.  It may be better now that Christian religion isn't so accepted--it causes us to really be tested and think through our faith and know if it's real.  Likewise, we have two candidates, the first of whom some Christians were labeling a certain religion, but now a candidate representing them who is not of the same faith, and I think it's actually good for us to reflect on how being a Republican doesn't make you a Christian, and vice versa.

normal week ending in tragedy:

Naomi finished her swim class with flying colors and passed all but one item on her test.  She could not do the backstroke for 10 yards, so she will remain in her same level next year.  Overall, I was really pleased with her two instructors (especially that they were both women), the cost of the lessons, and the location.  Unfortunately, it conflicted with the lessons given by ladies at our church.  Next year, I'll see if we can get through an entire month of lessons by doing both.

My Zumba class was great.  It's been eight years since I've been able to go work out without the kids, so I'm feeling really blessed.  They had different leaders in the kids club this week.  The kids had a great time, and no one got hurt.  Lucas got run over twice last week, and I hurriedly picked the kids up and left so I wouldn't say something I'd regret.  

I spent all week cutting lots of tin foil for our VBS camp, which is about all I could do.  Lucas isn't really old enough to go, so I'll be with him while Naomi goes from 8-5 for four days.  It's going to be fun and a great opportunity for our church to reach out to the community.

Naomi is doing well in her Social Skills class.  She has a final presentation next week.  Lucas has been surprisingly patient through the hour-long class.  


We weren't able to go on a date night and see Batman this weekend, and that's all been tempered by the horrible tragedy in CO.  I went to bed Friday night thinking about Lucas's birthday party that Naomi planned, and how thankful I was for all I had.  At about 3 a.m. I was awakened by a faulty sprinkler, and it woke the kids up as well.  With my adrenalin pump, I decided to check the news and felt such shock and sorrow.  I prayed over the victims, their families, and all the eyes of the world who were watching, even the suspect.  Here is a blog by a woman who was in the theater about how she still believes God is a merciful God.  Here is a heartbreaking blog by the brother of one of the deceased.  


I've seen or participated in some discussions about it.  While I support the right to possess firearms, I believe it shouldn't be so easy to purchase all that ammunition online.  I wrote our congressman about putting a tracking/mining system in place.  People can have their privacy, but should unusually large amounts of explosives or weapons be purchased online, it should send off a warning or raise a flag for investigation.  I don't know if it'll happen as people fight for all or nothing, but if a credit card company gets notification when our purchases appear unusual or ad companies  show what I just browsed on my sidebar, I think the software capability is available, and it's just a matter of having resources to address the flags.  I guess that may be tough in this econcomy.

your children want you:

A good read/reminder about what means the most to our children as parents.  Naomi said she agreed.  I like going to P.interest for ideas, but we sometimes create this artificial scale as moms for our parenting.  I think the article pokes fun at some of these mom creations, but I don't really judge mom who do all these things.  I personally have great admiration for the artistry and handiwork of many moms and would love to have those skills.  Even as Naomi's birthday party is coming up, I am delighted to have the opportunity to make fun displays of food.  It's just a reminder to not lose sight of the fact that the kids just need for me to be there for them.

sent into the harvest:

I often come across some thought-provoking articles or blogs by renowned Christian men, and they turn out to say exactly what Manny's been telling me.  I have a couple friends who have been vocal about their disdain for Halloween in any way, shape, or form.  And in a timely manner, John Piper writes up the view our church (for the most part) and our family have taken.  We agree with this view, although we certainly understand why people are so against it as well.  I often have to tell the kids to look away or go down a different aisle this time of year because they are so frightened by the images.  I sometimes can't wait for this time of year to be over.  Yet I also understand--this is the time when your neighbors, your community will willingly show up at your door.  We can choose to turn off the lights and hope they go away, as I did for many years, or reach out to them with something new--the fact that I don't fear Halloween itself, and I would love to talk with you about why.

trekaroo:

I thought I'd mentioned this site before, but I can't find it.  A friend's friend started Trekaroo, a travel site for families, and I've used it numerous times.  Before that, I'd go and do Ctrl+F "kids" or "children" on travel reviews.  I've found it to be very helpful, and it's worth a look!

info for sunscreens, vaccines, cosmetics, soy:

Best/Worst Sunscreens - Go to "Find Your Sunscreen" to check for harmful chemicals, SPF issues, etc.

Rotavirus Vaccine Safety Issues

Cosmetics Database - Cosmetics safety.  Probably important, considering how we put make-up on our eyes and lips and skin.

Soy Survey - Not all stuff labeled "soy" is beneficial for our health.

red cross:

Probably the best place to donate right now is through the Red Cross. They are asking for money instead of trying to ship supplies or care packages. My understanding is that there are practically no roads there and no means of distributing such supplies without chaos. And some charities and the State Dept have made it easy to donate by texting (some of the sites have viruses or are hoaxes, so it maybe be best to stick with IRC/ARC). Manny and I saw a documentary about how impoverished Haitians have to resort to eating dirt mixed with water and dried into cakes. I can't imagine the devastation.

because information is so accessible:

We've been sick, busy, and have a broken laptop adapter, so not much time to update.  Manny has a critical deadline and meeting tomorrow, Naomi started gymnastics and Awana this week, and Lucas and I are sick, probably because I ate his leftovers.  I really need to get over this Chinese no-waste-food thing.  Last night I probably ate the equivalent of three dinners.

Here is an informative but lengthy article--could take a few days to get through it all, or one could just read the bold print. My father once told me I was too much into this type of thing...and I think I was ten at the time.

Video: Decade in 3 minutes. I still remember when someone asked me why we were getting married in February of 2000 with the Y2K scare. A friend of ours got married Jan 1 that year with a full-on electronics light display that he'd programmed.

flu prevention:

An article from a friend's blog (he also used to go to GCC).  If you know any NorCal residents looking for a specialist in nutrition, homeopathic, holistic/alternative medicine, or chiropractic treatments, please contact Dr. Husbands!

An excerpt:

Diet
1.Eat a total of 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of essential vitamins, minerals and other phyto-nutrients that make your immune system function properly. If you find having fruits and vegetables in this recommended amount difficult, either make them into smoothies, or take a “green drink”. Green drinks typically consist of dehydrated concentrated chlorophyll, fruits, vegetables, and beneficial algae. You can purchase them from online vitamin/supplement stores or from your local health food store.
2.Eliminate sugar, including sugary foods and artificially-sweetened foods. Sugar and artificial sweeteners significantly suppresses your immune system. During the holiday season, I know this is easier said than done.
3.Avoid foods that have artificial colors and flavorings. They also suppress your immune system.
4.Have a high-quality protein food, such as cage-free eggs, with your breakfast
5.Never, ever skip breakfast!
6.Drink about 8 glasses of water each day regularly. Being inadequately hydrated inhibits immune system function.

a hero:

Christian janitor died saving Muslim students--Very heartbreaking and compelling story and video.  This man was buried by the trash, despite his tremendous heroism and sacrifice.  Christians are the lowliest of people there.  He left behind a three-year-old daughter.  Would we do the same in his shoes?  Truly lay down our lives?  What an incredible testimony.

veterans' day:

Why it's on 11/11.

food basics:

I have a basic cooking blog that I started recently. The plan is to have it as a basic manual for the kids by the time they're teenagers. College students have enough stress as it is, I think, and probably no money for eating out all the time. It'll be pretty disorganized as I'll just write about things I think of as I cook on that day. It won't contain anything extraordinary, advanced, or elitist. Just very basic stuff. Even though my mom pushed me out of the kitchen and into my books, I'm glad somewhere along the way she taught me how to pick produce, slice food, skin and debone a chicken, and even how to clean a fish, although I'm thankful the Chinese market will do that for you nowadays.

his smile is certainly consistent:

It's not my thing to make fun of presidents, but I saw this in the news today and it's funny, no matter who it is.

Barack Obama's amazingly consistent smile from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.

On a serious note, if you want to donate to help victims of the flood in the Philippines, contact the American RC.

napa 1999:

Another web page transfer:

The Beauty of Napa Valley

Even if you are not a wine connoisseur, Napa Valley is worth visiting to partake of the celebration of nature, food, art, and (of course) wine. The Wine Country in all its splendor is an escape from urban life into peaceful back roads, rustic buildings and magnificent vineyards.

I lived with Tiffany the summer after Manny and I got engaged. We all decided to take a day trip to Napa, picking our friend Adora up along the way. We headed north on Route 29, making several stops at various wineries, with the Beringer Vineyard as our end goal. The route took us through Napa, Yountville, Oakville/Rutherford, and St. Helena. We didn't quite make it to Calistoga, where the famous spas are located.

All the wineries we visited were beautiful, although the Hakusan gardens did not appear exactly as advertised. If you ever plan to visit, it's probably best to go when you can see the fruit of the vine. You might also be interested in making reservations for a hot air balloon ride or taking the Napa Valley Train.


Beringer. We also stopped at V. Sattui.

[On a related note, check out Tiffany's baking/culinary blog. She has some very fabulous recipes which I'm going to try when I have a little more time.]

picme:

Sprout online has this chibi/bobblehead/jibjab-type application called PICME where you can upload a photo of your preschooler. He or she can then play games and watch a short cartoon with his or her face in it. You can also submit your child's photo to possibly be featured in a cartoon on PBS Sprout, but then you have to keep watching everyday to see if your child was selected. I've seen a couple, as they just added PBS Sprout to our package (no Noggin, though, too bad), and they crack me up.

back on my feet again:

I have now graduated to limping around in a special shoe. It's a good thing, as Lucas is quite mobile now, and therefore so am I. The first thing I did when I got off the crutches was toss things from the fridge and cabinets that I hadn't been able to cook. Then I dusted shelves (but I still can't really vacuum, so we're probably swimming in it) and cooked a decent meal.

I am busy trying to plan our vacation to SD and Naomi's birthday party. I was disappointed to find out Breakfast with Elmo won't be available on the weekdays while we're at Sea World. We also have to leave just days before Cindy Pon's book signing. Planning Naomi's party is not too bad--I think we might do what Cindy and others do and go with the big parties every four years. I like doing parties at home more, even though they require more work and might have more unexpected challenges. I just got off the phone with my friend who is getting married in a few months. I'm sure glad I don't have to plan a wedding anymore! I would definitely do many things a lot differently knowing what I do now, but I really doubt I'll get married again. :)

I also have my nose stuck in Home Comforts the few minutes I have free, because if I can study my way through chemical/bio/materials engineering degrees, I can study my way to a clean house. Well, maybe after Lucas is a little older, but at least I can start developing better habits and get that housekeeping notebook going.

peanut butter:

I think I say this every year--I like black history. My favorite historical figure is probably Frederick Douglass. I think whenever I had U.S. history projects and reports, I'd go with the African-American. Black inventors are to thank for everything from elevators to ice cream scoopers to traffic signals. Drop-in mailboxes, refrigerators, thermostat controls--how different life would be without them. Blood banks, stethoscopes, gas masks--lifesavers. And of course, peanut butter.

On a related note: FDA Peanut Product Recall List. You probably heard that the owner knowingly shipped out contaminated products...and they found debris from feces and dead rodents and birds being blown into the production area. :(

passing:

This is a blog I found out about through friends some time ago. I'd been thinking of and praying for them off and on, and now I've learned the husband has (edited:) passed away. Last night, Naomi sang another of her compositions in the car. She sang, "I'm on my way to heaven, I'm on my way to heaven...to tell God how much I love him..." And it is most appropriate for me today.

happy lunar new year:

Gong xi, gong xi, xin nian hao! (Gung hei fat choy is Cantonese but more common) I started saying "lunar" instead of "Chinese" new year for the Vietnamese friends. :)


Here is Naomi holding her "new year fireworks" drawing, wearing the Kung Fu panda PJs from her grandparents. I'm sad about the carpet, but I just bought some more Resolve! And Lucas doesn't have Naomi's skin problems! Hurray!


Something Chinese-y she did online. After you color this and click "Go," the program actually animates the object with your coloring. It's the Year of the Ox (my mom, brother, mother-in-law are all oxen). Manny was born in the year of the rabbit, I am a dragon, Naomi a rooster, and Lucas a mouse/rat. We joke that we were off by one year, so Naomi would've been a monkey and Lucas a golden pig. :)


Here is the result after one hour of organizing her makeshift tea tray (she pulled the lid off the storage ottoman). All the tableware is stacked, the utensils in the napkins rings, food separated according to dessert vs. entree... After this hour, she told me she was too tired from working to play. :) She's also been setting the table as of late. I have a Chinese tea set, but I'm pretty sure several things in our china cabinet have lead in them. :(

We're having carnitas tacos tonight! I wanted to have a traditional Chinese celebration dinner tonight, or at least mooncakes for Naomi, but I really couldn't get out this weekend as Naomi had a slight cold (over it in one day as usual) and Lucas had his shots. And we are also training him to sleep in his crib through the night. We're all zombies, but the duration and volume of his crying have decreased with each night. Had I not had Naomi, I'd be patting myself on the back. But now all I can say is Hallelujah, it's a miracle. :) And I wish Naomi needed more sleep. :(

fruition:

One of my webbie friends, Cindy, a full-time mom of two small children, has a young-adult fantasy novel coming out this May entitled Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia. She also sells (and gives away) beautiful Chinese brush paintings.

Another webbie friend left her office job and is now a freelance food photographer. I was pretty slow on that news. Check out her site styleshooteat--pretty amazing...and very appetizing.

And I continue to spread the word for Larissa's (and now husband Baldwin's) music ministries.

It is not a simple thing to make a living from artistic talent, so really I applaud them/you.