masala mama

Our proud Korean-American

2012-10-14T18:49:00.001-07:00

Kean the storyteller

2012-07-12T08:38:00.001-07:00

A couple months ago, Kean used these blocks to make up his own story. Turn up the volume so you can hear him better.

The calendar said June...

2012-07-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

But it was definitely Kean's month. The birthday boy turned four and alternated between being Batman, a rock star and a hairdresser. Yes, that hatchet hair job is his doing, the night before his end-of-the-year show at preschool. I had trimmed his bangs, but apparently not enough, so while I made dinner, he found the scissors and trimmed them himself. He ran into the kitchen a huge smile and said, "Mama, look! I cut my bangs!" When I showed him in the mirror, he smiled and said, "You can REALLY see my forehead now, Mama!" Yes, honey, yes, I can.

While eating lunch....

2012-06-08T17:45:00.001-07:00

Kean: Do you know Vikings eat the heads of dragons? Me: Really? K: Yeah, and the tails too. M: Which do you think taste better, the tail or the head? K: The tail. M: Why? K: Beause if you eat the head, it will go into your tummy and breathe fire! M: Oh, good point! K: Are Vikings for real? M: Yes, they were. K: Are dragons for real? M: I don't know. K: I think they were a log time ago because the Vikings used to fight them.

"Did an ambulance take Pepper to heaven?"

2012-06-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

Out of the mouths of babes.

On Saturday, May 26th, we lost our faithful friend and first-born. He had been sick on and off for a few months, but always bounced back. Not this time. Paul took him to the vet where they discovered internal bleeding and a tumor on his spleen. We opted for surgery to remove the tumor--the only way to determine whether it was cancer--but when they opened him up, they found that the cancerous tumors had already spread to his liver. That's when we got the call from the vet who advised us to euthanize. It was the best choice, but oh so painful to make.

We've had lots of talks since then about Pepper, death, heaven, even cremation. It hasn't been easy -- how do you explain cremation without scaring the bejesus out of a 6-year-old -- but we've been honest with the details and about our feelings. We all miss Pepper so, so much. We miss him eating napkins, chasing squirrels, barking at the UPS guy, cocking his head to the side when we ask if he wants a treat. We miss watching him snore on his pillow, twitch his legs when he's having a particularly fun dream. We miss his little nudges at our elbow while we're eating at the table and how he would sit, frog-style, while we made dinner. We miss him tip-toeing through puddles because he hated the rain and how he would run for cover at the first clap of thunder. You were such a good boy, Pepper. We hope you're having the best steak dinner in heaven.

Pepper when he was a puppy.

A toothy grin

2012-04-16T07:05:00.001-07:00

June lost her first tooth last night! It's been loose for a couple weeks, but it finally got really, really loose when she tried out her new snorkel. After much high drama ("Mama don't pull it out! Put your hands behind your back!"), she pulled it out herself. She got busy right away with her note to the Tooth Fairy. In case you can't understand June-glish, here's what it says in standard English: "Dear Tooth Fairy, may I keep my tooth, but can you bring me a coin? And can you draw a picture of you right here?"

The Tooth Fairy came through with a shiny $1 gold coin and a picture of herself. Kean was a bit disappointed that he didn't get one, but Big Sister reassured him that his time would come.

Holy morning, Batman!

2012-03-27T10:23:00.002-07:00

photo from February 2012

Batman woke up yesterday, rolled over in his bed and, with one eye still closed, groggily said, "It was a short night." The rest of Gotham City agrees. Can we go back to bed now?

Jacky Boy hits 10 humanoid years, or 70 dowg years.

2012-01-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to you...

Hmmm.mash good

Jimbini Rigatoni Linguini Mascarpone Marcaroni…that’s his current Italian nick name. Our dogatoid Pepper, has been with us since he was 6 weeks old. Our dear friends Jeff and Chanda picked him from a litter of 8 during X-mas of 2001, and they could not have done better. He’s taken life in stride-dog stride that is-and sleeps most of the time, but still manages to act like a puppy when he wants to play, jump on strangers, bark at the mail man, and chase squirrels. The kids always include him in their play. He’s usually a monster or bad guy, ie a dragon, Skeletor-from He-Man cartoon circa 1985, Captain Kook or a Flubalub from Stingray circa 1958. He tirelessly follows them into their ‘traps’-always a willing villain. Aside from his gray beard which continues to creep down his jowls every year, he’s still the same old lovable dog who loves to eat napkins, hot peppers, and USDA prime steak, yes he managed to steal a couple of those off the grill. We love you Stinkboy…here’s to 10 more humanoid years to our dear companion.

Did they just say that?

2012-01-17T17:18:00.000-08:00

"Mama, why doesn't the water fall out of the ocean if we're spinning?"

"June is a better listener because she's older. I'm not."

"I wish we had a pet sun so it could keep us warm whenever we want."

"Yeah, but..." This is how Kean typically replies when asked not to do something, for instance: "Kean, stop standing on the chair." "Yeah, but I have to get something on the counter." or "Kean, close your eyes and go to sleep." "Yeah, but I have to tell June something." Yeah but, Yeah but, all day long. One time, I replied, 'Yeah but nothing." He thought that was very funny.

Little Drummer Boy

2011-12-27T17:46:00.000-08:00

The guys from Rush called. They want Kean.

Kean's Favorite Things, October 2011

2011-10-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

1. Zip ties. He turns them into balloons or makes daisy chains with them.
2. Submarines and rockets.
3. Making Mama and Daddy draw pictures of submarines and rockets.
4. Cutting out submarines and rockets with scissors.
5. Using tape to attach cut-out submarines and rockets to kitchen wall. See picture.
6. Using muffin tins to create his own submarines and rockets.
7. Thunderbirds.
8. Playing Bad Birds on Daddy's phone. The rest of us know it's called Angry Birds. He will never, ever discover that Bad Birds can also be played on Mama's iPad.
9. Worshipping his sister. Especially when she draws him a submarine.

Three posts in one week. This must be a record.

2011-09-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

Off to school!

Better than a Dyson

2011-09-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

Me: Kean, what do you think Pepper should be for Halloween?

(long, long pause.)

Kean: A vacuum cleaner.

Me: Why?

Kean: Because he likes to eat all our food!

Winter Cometh!

2011-09-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

June, looking at the thermometer alongside our house today: "Mama, what do the F and C stand for on the thermometer?"
Me: "That's a really good question...."
June: "Freezing and Chilly?"
Me: "Good guess!"

(In a few short months, F and C will stand for that!)

Goodbye, Summer

2011-09-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

just when you think you've got them figured out...

2011-07-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

Some kids are outgoing from the start. They wave hi to strangers,play with kids they meet in the park, and generally talk to pretty much anyone who talks to them. That's never been June. It takes her a very long time to get comfortable around new people and, even when she knows someone well, she hasn't gone out of her way to be friendly. If a friend from preschool yelled hi, June would usually give a hesitant little wave, her chin tucked into her neck--and that was a good day. On other days, she would just flat-out ignore them.

So imagine my shock at the transformation over the past month. Like the other day, when she was swimming in our neighbor's pool. She spotted our other neighbor over the fence and yelled hello. My jaw dropped. First of all, June never initiates a hello with anyone. And this is a neighbor we rarely see. Then while walking into day camp (which, by the way, she loves. Best overpriced activity I ever signed her up for), she spotted an older girl that she's met there and yelled hi. This might seem like ordinary behavior for alot of kids, but for June, it's really extraordinary. At Kean's check-up yesterday, she talked to the doctor for the first time ever without having me play a game of telephone to do it. She even gave my credit card to the gas station attendant and said thank you loud enough for him to hear! Granted, all of these interactions are very small, but added up, they really are a shift in her behavior. I'm so proud of her and that she's found the confidence that I always knew was inside her.

June 20th

2011-06-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Today is Kean's birthday.
Yes, it's true.
Another year has truly flew.

We love you, little boy, especially when you...
...say "mmmmm" when you're thinking of the right word to say
...hold your friend's hand
...giggle at your own jokes
...pretend you're Virgil (yeah, that's everyday)
...pad across the hall, delicately open our bedroom door and whisper in our ear, "It's wake-y time!"

You're three, oh boy, here we go.
More fun's in store, I just know!

May 2009

May 2011

Berry Good

2011-06-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

A field of ripe strawberries, a beautiful blue-sky morning, four happy berry-stained faces--and

ten pounds of strawberries in our freezer!

I've been duh'ed by my daughter.

2011-05-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, I thought this day wouldn't come until she was at least eight. Maybe seven? No matter. June is barely five (and already asking when she'll be 5.5) and she's duh-ing me. To which I thank her little friend, Jessica B. (not to be confused with Jessica V. who's been mentioned in an earlier post) who apparently says duh at the end of every sentence, duh. It's made for some pretty funny conversations this weekend because June's attaching it whether it makes sense or not. Where are you going to park the car, duh. Kean, give me back the submarine, duh.

Exclamations are also big, as in "We're going to a dinosaur show? Yesssssss! (fist pump) Awesome! (arms extended, hands stretched wide)" And one that nearly made me keel over: "We're having zucchini tonight? Yesssss! Awesome!" She's got Kean saying it too, although it comes out sounding like "Yesssss! Awthum."

Speaking of Kean, I asked him about his favorite things lately....
Favorite place: Tracy Island (the fictitious home of the Thunderbirds - or Funderbirds, if Kean's telling you - June's and his favorite show, which Daddy watched when he was a boy)
Favorite fruit: strawberry
Favorite food: boo-berry
Favorite color: red and brue
Favorite thing to say: "My nickname is Virgil." I should have written that in ALL CAPS because he says it so indignantly. Virgil is his favorite Thunderbird (see Favorite Place). Daddy will have to do a guest column on Thunderbirds because there's no way I can do it justice.

Our little engineer (or how June turned Pepper into a circus dog)

2011-04-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

Everyone who knows Pepper knows that he doesn't do tricks. He doesn't fetch, doesn't roll over, doesn't howl to get a treat. He just looks at you with those beautiful puppy dog eyes and yeah, he gets what he wants. June isn't buying it. Recently, while the rest of us weren't looking, she rearranged ALL of our living room furniture and set up the most amazing trick for Pepper: the hula-hoop jump. I took one look at it, smiled encouragingly, and said, "Great work, honey, it's worth a try." Secretly I thought it would never work. Pepper has never done anything except sit for a treat. Now he's gonna jump through a hoop that's more than a foot off the ground? Notice that she put a stack of books under the hoop - no sliding underneath for Pepper!

June ran to get Pepper's treats, with Pepper at her heels, thinking that all he had to do was sit and she'd deliver. Wrong-o. He followed her back into the living room, where she somehow got him on one side of the hoop and her on the other. Then Pepper pulled a fast one. He outmaneuvered the hoop, slipped through a hole in the barricade June had built and grabbed the treat from her hand. Score one for Pepper. June wasn't giving up. She reinforced the barricade and tried again, coaxing Pepper to jump. AND HE DID! I nearly fell over. Then she made the hoop higher. AND HE DID IT AGAIN! While June ran to get more treats, I grabbed the camera hoping to capture this amazing feat by Pepper, the circus dog. But all I got were shots of his tail after he had jumped through. So, you'll just have to believe me.

The stunt

The engineer and her helper

Decisions, Decisions.

2011-04-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

(Conversation, two days ago)
June: Mama, I just don't know what I want to be when I grow up. There are so many choices!!!
Mama: Well, what are your options?
June: Ballerina. Tennis Star. Mom. Cheerleader.
Mama: Those are all good choices.
June: Yeah, but I think I'm going to be a cheerleader.

(Tonight, after reading a book about dinosaurs at bedtime)
June: I think I want to be a paleontologist.
Mama: Not a cheerleader?
June: Well, I don't know. I don't think there's anything left for a paleontologist to discover.
Mama: You mean, "sk-duver"? (June's new word. She invented it a few nights ago when she made up her own card game and called it "sk-duver" by accident instead of discover. Love it!)
June: Yeah, I think I'm going to be a cheerleader.

Rah! Rah!

High Five

2011-03-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday....

And today.

June turns five today. She's just getting over a really nasty stomach virus, but that wasn't about to stop her from enjoying breakfast in bed this morning. Followed by cupcakes with her classmates at school. And goodness knows what other sugary delights the rest of the day. Her giddiness about turning 5 is infectious, but I have to say, I always get a bit sad on this day, thinking of June's birth mother and wondering what she feels on this day. I guess it's possible that she feels nothing, that March 3 passes like any other day, but I don't believe it. Does she wonder where June is? Does she see a five-year-old girl at the market and have a pang in her heart? Does she wonder if she wears her hair in braids, if she likes to sleep with her socks on, if she gets scared at thunder? (Yes, yes and yes.) If I could meet her birth mama, I'd tell her...

- how June calls Kean "babe" when they're deep into pretend play. "Come on, babe, get into the tent before the monster gets us!" Pepper gets an Oscar for best monster.

- how she always shares. Always. Even her birthday donut this morning.

- how she decided that the little girl at the end of the 'Puff, the Magic Dragon' book is Jackie Paper's daughter who he adopted.

- how she jumped off a really high stack of mats at gymnastics, reached to grab the high bar, missed and fell into "the pit." Without missing a beat, she jumped again and this time caught the bar. Watching from the lobby, I let out a squeal that I didn't even know was inside me.

- how she hums and sings when she's engrossed in something.

- how she still nibbles her Croco before falling asleep at night.

- how she brings such joy, laughter and absolute wonderful-ness to my life. I am so honored to be her Mama. Happy Birthday, sweetie. I love you lots.

A Special Message for Abbie

2011-02-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Abbie,

Happy Birthday! Hurray, you're FIVE!

Love,

June & Kean

Kean's Faves, Winter 2011

2011-02-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

Favorite color: Pink
Favorite song: Thomas and His Friends
Favorite show: Thomas (big surprise)
Favorite food: Cereal
Favorite fish: Nemo
Favorite pastime: Dressing up like a princess or playing with marbles. It's a toss-up.

I went to my first tea party yesterday.

2011-01-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

There were ladies and gents dressed in fancy clothes,

more jewels than the Queen of England wears,

violin music by the famous composer, Beetoken, according to June,

entertainment by Sir Gerbil,

And one beastly diva.

It was precious. I can't wait for the next one.