Raising A & C

I've moved ....

2010-03-29T22:46:00.000-07:00

Please update your readers or subscription.... I've moved!

And you can read why I made the decision.

Feel free to send any blog-warming comments over at .....

www.raisingme.wordpress.com

thinking

2010-03-27T23:21:00.001-07:00

Thinking about moving....

Will update all of you when I set up my new digs...

over at another blogging site.

Should be within the next day or two....

happiness

2010-03-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

What is happiness? What does it mean to you? What is it in life that makes you happy?

This afternoon after picking princess up from her dance class, we had some ice cream out on the bench in the sun. We talked, we laughed, we spent a very very happy 1/2 hour together in the sun.

I was happy.

It was a moment that I wish I could have bottled (or at least have taken a picture of) and open it up every time I need to feel 'happy'.

Being an adult, being happy goes hand in hand with reality. I mean, if I have no money I probably wouldn't able to send princess to her dance class or have been able to afford that delicious ice cream cone for her. I might not even have the luxury to take off work early to enjoy the sun with her.

I have always been able to find happiness with the cards I was dealt with. But would I be able to do so if I would be dealt some really tough reality?

Boy, with a rough and sleepless night like tonight, I wish I could have bottled the wonderful time this afternoon and open it up to let out some sunshine, warmth, and happiness.

round two

2010-03-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

When princess was two, she had the terrible twos really REALLY bad. Her tantrums can give supernanny the run for her money. She had tantrums daily and the longest lasted for about 45 minutes and almost each tantrum ends in hysteria and vomiting. (archived here)

That and her night terrors were the reasons why I didn't think we're going to have more than one child. (archived here, here, or here)

Alas, my perfect lil Boo has finally reached that stage. I never thought that this day would come because she is always very logical and reasonable and princess was (and still is) always emotional.

Today, out of the blue in the car on the way home from day care, she started to kick and scream and threw a tantrum over something I have no clue about. (Well, I guess if I had a clue, she probably wouldn't have to throw a tantrum, right?) Anyhow, the tantrum continued from the car into our home and lasted for a good 20 minutes.

Lucky for me, I have had ample training from princess' tantrum days that I learned to block out my emotions and ignored it and let her cry it out. However it still did not stop the headache that followed.

I'm hoping round two will be easier than the round one with princess. But judging from what I saw today, I have my work (with help of Tylenol for me) cut out for me.

*Stock pic from last year ... didn't have time to find my camera today.

But trust me, it looked very similar to this TIMES TWO, or THREE or maybe FOUR *

** Why is it that I've been having so much trouble with the spacing in Blogger lately?? **

kiddie snippets

2010-03-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

*Below are just snippets of the kids lately that I want to document and remember later.... *

"Mommy, can you live with me even after I get married?" princess asked one day.

"Sure honey" I answered as warmth filled my heart.

"Well, since I don't want to cook and drive, you can live with me and do that for me, right?"

*silence*

------------------

"Boo, can you go tell Ashley that she has 5 minutes left before bath time?"

*silence*

"Boo, did you hear me?"

"Yea Mama."

"Can you help me go tell Ashley?"

"MAMA, I'm busy!"

-----------------

"Mama, where Daddy go?" asked Boo very seriously one Sunday afternoon.

"Daddy went to work, Boo."

"No No, Mommy. Daddy upthairs" (upthairs - upstairs)

"Boo, Daddy went to work." I repeated again.

flustered, she said, "Daddy play pewter work! pewter upthairs!" (pewter - computer)

*AHA Daddy - your kids thinks you play games on the computer for work!*

------------------

My Mom took Boo out for ice cream and toy store one Saturday afternoon.

"Courtney, do you want chocolate ice cream?"

"No. Ashley chocolate. Courtney strawberry." Boo corrected my Mom that she likes strawberry and it's her big sis that likes chocolate.

*at the toy store*

"Courtney, would you like Lola to buy you a dolly?" (Kids call my Mom - Lola)

Boo looked at my Mom with a confused look... and stated ...

"No. Courtney want puzzle."

Because Ashley is the one that likes dolls and Courtney, likes puzzles.

note to husband

2010-03-24T07:33:00.001-07:00

Dear Husband,

We have received a ransom note for your alarm clocks. The noted stated that at a random date your clocks will be taken by force from our house. If the ransom is not met, they will be 'taken care of' and you shall receive their remains in our back yard.

Please take care of the matter immediately.

From your loving wife...
and kids...

teehee...

2010-03-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

I can't help but post this picture of Boo. She looks soooooo darling.

*This one is so going on my FB page!*

teehee...

confession

2010-03-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I'm such a Facebook junkie.

Not only do I like to see what people I know are doing, what they are about to do, or what they have done already. But ... I love to secretly stalk people.

I'm SO sick.

I love to look up people that I might know from the past. Typically either those that are sworn enemies or those who were a secret crush of some sort. I don't like to connect with them, but I just like to look them up and see if I find them. Sometimes I would find them and lurk around their profile, gasping at what they might look like now and occasional snickers at a few that did not age gracefully or gasps at some that the time has done good for them.

So far, I have snickered at alot of past crushes and gasps at a few enemies. How do some people get better looking with age?

Do you stalk on these social networking sites?

trying something new

2010-03-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

For almost the past week, I've been trying something new.

I've been trying to get A & C to sleep together in the same room.

Ever since we knew we were having a second girl, we've envisioned having the two girls eventually share a room together. Not just for bonding experiences but selfishly, it frees up an empty room in our 3 room home for our home office. We currently have our home office junk literally stuffed into our master. Which makes our master bedroom really really REALLY crowded.

Anyhoo... back to trying to get the girls to share a room.

I am absolutely loving it! I can read the bedtime stories to both of them in bed at the same time... and it really is a boding experience. (Our current fav is 'Waking Beauty' - which is a twist on the fairy tale 'sleeping beauty'.) I would then tuck them in and work on my laptop while they fall asleep.

This is great! I now can not just put them to bed, but also steal about 15 to 20 minutes all to myself in silence while I catch up on some reading/surfing/blogging.

Now.... the trick is to get Ashley to agree to this sleeping arrangement permanently. She is still holding on to her 'room' because that's where she keeps the-important-things-that-Courtney-can't-touch.

Maybe a bribe of Disneyland trip??

clothes horse

2010-03-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

Some people collect stamps and others might collect rocks. Me... I collect CLOTHES.

I am a clothes horse.

I have always been a clothes whore, I mean - horse and still am. For awhile now, I was in a lull. Not only was I down on my ever increasing waist-line and my busy life as a Mom, that I have somehow thought that I was over that particular addiction, ahem - I mean hobby.

But lately, maybe because of the economy or maybe I started to pay attention again, there are all these very well known designers that started to design for more affordable and widely accessible stores. (And no, I most definitely am not talking about your Olsen twins or Hannah Montana stuff at Walmart.)

I guess it has been a trend for awhile with all these furniture designers and such designing for Target. But now, clothing designers like Jean Paul Gaultier or Rodarte designing for Target and Stella MaCartney for GapKids, quoting Meg Ryan's boyfriend from You've Got Mail, "I can't help myself...'

So anyhow, I have no real point to this post.... this is neither about A or C nor is it about the state of the world today. But then again, maybe it is a public admission that lil poorly dressed me is actually a clothes horse.

peace

2010-03-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

As always, I was having trouble putting my baby Court down to bed. And as usual, I sat down with her on her bed and kept her company in silence as she tries to fall asleep.

"I will not cave in today." I told myself.

I will not cave in to her pleas for me to lay down with her and for her to rest her head on me for comfort - to fall asleep.

So I was strong. I told her very seriously that Mommy is just going to sit here by your bed and we shall do no talking. She tossed and turned and tossed and turned for 15 minutes as I catch up on some reading in the dark (OK, FINE .... I was surfing on my laptop.) Then I heard deep breathing sounds - almost like it was coming from under water.

"Oh good... she's asleep." I thought to myself with a sigh of relieve.

A minute later, that underwater sound started to irk me. Is she sick AGAIN? Good heavens, she had just got over a cold!

I resumed my - ahem - reading. But something was just not sitting well about that sound coming from her. So I closed the said reading material and reached over in the dark trying to find her on the bed.

I found her. Then as I gently touched her head, I realized that do-do bird here buried her face in her blanket - COMPLETELY!

"HOLY SH*T!" I yelled silently in my head and quickly turned her over. In an instant, she resumed her normal silent breathing sounds. I know I was just panicking, but with all those sudden SIDS news you always hear about came rushing back. OK, I know she's not an infant anymore and she's already 2, but as a mother, my thoughts naturally went there.

So I gently laid down on her bed... moved her head to rest on my chest. I sniffed her hair that smelt like the scent of her shampoo mixed with some baby sweat. I felt peace. So what if I let her sleep on me a few more days or weeks? Just like my princess Ash, baby Court will also outgrow wanting to sleep with Mommy or wanting to cuddle with me and rest her head on my chest. I am just going to lay down and enjoy - the scent of my baby's hair, the warmth of her little body next to mine, and her gentle breathing next to my ear.

Peace.

puzzle mania

2010-03-07T15:24:00.001-08:00

My baby has caught puzzle mania. I remember when my princess was 2, she never took any interest in puzzles (even today - she doesn't care much for them.) However my baby at 2 years 3 months are doing puzzles like there is no tomorrow.

I knew she can do them fast, but I didn't know she does them - THIS FAST!

I took these pictures in just under 2 minutes - and she's done. I guess I should start buying puzzles more than 24 pieces, eh?

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

*We call this her Queen Amidala picture ... you know ala Star Wars?*

80's are back...

2010-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the 80s are back? Check out the hair... LOL brings back memories!

And apparently she learned how to pose from her sister...

we now have no pictures of her not posing.

finding her voice

2010-02-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

So apparently my oldest has inherited my childhood mute-ness when being confronted. She gets mute and unable to explain her side of the story and thus gets blamed alot for something she later claims at home she did not do.

How do I teach a child to find her voice? Recently, I've even attended a 'raising confident girls' talk at a local church and find that it was not too helpful. Without outlining the 'free' talk, I feel that the talk was just a vehicle to promote the speaker's company/programs. Anyhow...

Since I trust all my readers (ahem - all two of you know who you are...) it'll be great to get some ideas. So any ideas?

Breakfast is served

2010-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

The 2 yr old served up breakfast the other day ....

"What is that boo?" I asked.

"Mommy - bakefast"

"Oh, we're having bread with eggs and corn?"

"No! It's cornbread and eggbread!"

still here

2010-02-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

I'm still here - I think.

I always mean to blog... I have tons of ideas and things to talk about, but lately between work and home I just can't find the energy to post.

Lately I found it so draining after dealing with an emotional 5 year old and a playful 2 year old yet very fulfilling. Everyday after work and dealing with the kids, I'm just ready to hit the sack.

I shall post again soon ... I need to go attend the 2 year old's tea party!

Dear Sir....

2010-02-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Sir,

Please do not tail me and pass me and cut me off on the freeway just because I am driving a brand spanking new car. (Ok, new to me but used.)

You really do not want to test my post accident, jumpy and careful (ok, slow) driving in the rain at night. The last car that encountered me and my bad driving was totalled and suffered a really horrible dismembered end. (My poor Jeep ... rest in junk yard peace.)

You can look at me meanly as you pass me up and cut me off, but that will not speed up this weather wimp's driving. Besides, you wouldn't want me to be distracted now, would you? Since I will be driving behind you... in a unfamiliar car... distracted.

Thank you.

weather-wimp

2010-01-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard that Californians are weather wimps? Well, I'll be the first to admit that growing up in Cali, I didn't have to deal with much changes in the weather. At work, we constantly joke about how Californians are such weather wimps because when there is a little rain, the traffic slows to a crawl...

Well, it no longer is a joke to me. Because I'll be the first to admit that I AM a weather-wimp. And this weather-wimp's car skidded and hit the center divide on the bridge yesterday as the storm came in.

WITH the kids IN the car.

But no worries, they are fine... although my car is not.

Don't be fooled... it doesn't look that bad in the pic, but the front is definitely damaged with the hood crumpled in. And the car drove with a terrifying noise and it escalates as the speed gets higher. So now, the car is in the shop... I'm hoping it's not going to cost me an arm and a leg.

Anyhow, the storm came in nice and strong today.

The kids were bored to tears...

baby court was just moping around like Linus with her blankie.

Princess Ash really caught the hand-held game fever.

We had to limit how much time she plays and she was definitely not thrilled with that...

Baby Court's mopey mood was cured by some home made chocolate-chip cupcakes.

Me... I was moping around home with some head aches and body soreness. Stayed home from work today to rest my body and besides I just couldn't get myself out there to drive in the rain.

Not yet.

Not so soon.

Hubby promised to chauffeur me to and from work tomorrow as the storm was predicted to hang around for a few more days.

the sweetest thing

2010-01-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

** No, not the movie, silly! **

Tonight, as I put the princess on a time out for her 'bad attitude,' her lil sis sat on the kiddie couch very silently.

As the timeout ended, I gave my speech to the princess about the bad attitude. She then went to join her lil sis.

baby C: Ashley, you okay?
princess A: *nothing*

C: Ash, you okay?
A: *sniffs* Yeah.

C: Here, baby. (She was saving Ashley's baby doll while she was on timeout)
A: Thank you. (more sniffling)

C: L-come.

And baby C places her head on princess A's shoulders as they sat on the couch cuddling.

Made me misty... really.
That's what I wanted... sisters that love each other and take care of each other. Hopefully they will be close like this for the rest of their lives.

cabin fever

2009-12-29T16:08:00.000-08:00

Since there is no child care over the holiday break, I'm home with the kids all 11 days. My kids are real home bodies, no one seems to want to go out and do anything but wants to just play at home. Since the weather has been on and off lately, I don't mind staying in on yucky days like today.

At some point, I just got soooo bored and out of ideas of how to keep the 5 yr old and the 2 yr old entertained. So this afternoon, I pumped up fun kids music and started to just dance around... the 2 yr old was amused and joined in. The 5 yr old... not so much.

With her tush still parked solidly on the kiddie couch in the toy room (the family room that we made into the toy room... and our living room is our central family room. Hard to explain, but we have a really open floor plan in this house) she looked at me with horror ...

Ash: STOP MOMMY, STOP IT!

Me: Come on Ash, come dance with us!

A: NO MOMMY, STOP!!!

*I continued to dance hoping to get her to stand up and do ~ something*

she stood up.

A shouted: You are the rudest Mommy I've ever had!

M: Why? I'm just dancing.

A: You are so strange!

M: That's not good?

*she crossed her arms and was looking very angrily at me*
A: I can't believe you! You are the weirdest Mommy EVER!

I can just see this scene repeat again in her teen or preteen years... except that one will be accompanied by a door slam and me lecturing behind her.

But then again, she did have the only Mommy that got dressed up in a full on costume for Halloween.... Good thing she wasn't too embarrassed to go trick or treating with me!

out of the mouth of babes

2009-12-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

In a public restroom....
A: Mommy?
M: Yes?
A: Why do adults have hair down there?
*quiet snickers from the next stall*
M: Well, when people become adults, you get hair there.
A: Oh, will I get them too?
M: Yes
A: Will they get really really long like my hair? Would I have to go get them cut too?

---------------------------------------------------
As I was stepping out of the shower... I caught Ash staring at my boobs.

M: Ash, it's not polite to stare at other people's boobies, ok?
A: Oh... why not?
M: It might make other people uncomfortable.

Few moments later...
A: Look Mommy, I'm looking at your eyes!
M: That's much better, thank you.
A: *Giggles* I'm looking at your eyes but I can still see your boobies!

At age 5, she has mastered the skill of peripheral vision that all men had perfected.

Our annual girls' trip

2009-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Every year (ok, only the last two years... since she is only five) we would drive an hour up to the city to watch the Nutcracker ballet.

We have had so much fun and this year did not disappoint. The ballet was once again beautiful, the kids are all dressed up and all had fun at the family showing (That's an afternoon showing for the families and the kids can even meet some of the characters before the ballet starts.) The beautiful Opera House was just stunning and breath-taking. This year, they even had a snow machine by the front steps of the Opera House!

*note the white dots... they were snow!*

*my little model - every picture has to be posed!*

Can't wait for next year!! Sorry baby C that you didn't come with this year... but maybe next year (or maybe the year after....) you'll be able to sit for more than 10 minutes in one spot!

not a creature stirring....

2009-12-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

So growing up, I have always been one that can't wait to figure out what is in each box under the tree. After years, I've perfected my skill on guessing what is in the wrapped boxes.

I've always thought that when I have my own family, the kids will also take on this annual fun of shaking, listening, weighing the boxes to figure out what's in them. Alas, my kids don't even seem to notice the little wrapped presents that started to collect under the tree.

It is killing me.

I want to know what my kids are getting from various different friends and family.

The kiddos.... not so much.

The boxes are left untouched and seemingly not noticed.

crazy hat day

2009-12-11T18:50:00.001-08:00

Right before bed time last night, Ash began telling me how it is crazy hat day at school today. When I told her that it was too late to make a hat, she began to cry. To make my point, I did not budge on the bedtime and made her go to bed.

I watched her sob all the way to her room and finally calmed down for bed.

GUILT.

I knew it was crazy hat day today, but we had agreed that she needed to remind me about it. As I hear my princess cry, I got flooded with guilt.

So after hubby's donation of an old cap, some searching around the house, and some sewing and lots of hot glue gun burns, ahem - I mean action ...

Then she wore it all of 10 minutes at school before it came home in her backpack.

Thanks sweetie. For this you will have to wear this hat for every crazy hat day at school for the rest of your schooling days.