{sugarlens}

School Is Out!

2013-06-14T08:37:00.002-04:00

Six months ago, this was Anna...on her very first day of school.

Here she is now.

On the outside, it's hard to tell just how much she has grown because she was wearing a bulky coat in one and a sleeveless shirt in another. But I can tell you this - despite of a rough start AND middle...Anna finished off her first year of school with a bang. She has learned to socialize with other kids and made friends. Most importantly, though, she now separates (fairly) easy. No tears. She has really come to LIKE school and I can't wait for her to return this September.

Last Tuesday the school invited the parents to the classroom for a little performance. It made me laugh to see her participate in such delight. She's my little star.

These are the two troopers who put up with her this year. :) As one said, Anna was her "toughest case yet" and she has been teaching for years. I bet when they met Anna on the first day of school, they had no idea this girl "would work them so hard." Haha, I am just grateful that they never gave up.

And with that, school is out. Summer starts. We are off to the beach!

Teacher's Appreciation Gifts

2013-06-13T10:48:00.001-04:00

I have been really happy with Anna’s preschool teachers. They are wonderful and patient and tried everything to help Anna adjust to school. When she was going through her I-hate-school-and-I-am-going-to-cry-about-it phase, we exchanged ideas and schemed up plans - daily! - to help her. They were really really dedicated.

I have grown to love them and will miss their presence in her life (and mine). So at the end of school year, I wanted to show a bit of thanks and gratitude. This idea is all over Pinterest, but I personalized it to make our own.

I bought these cups from Amazon, and inside I included an Amazon gift card ($25), a few packets of mango peach tea mix, and a drawing from Anna with a note from me. It was easy and Anna helped assemble everything. She was so excited and kept asking when we could give them to the teachers. Well, she finally did this morning. I wasn’t there to see it, but I could just picture her happy face as she presented them to her teachers.

Note: The egg carton caterpillar in the middle is not part of the gift. Anna just insisted it on being there.

Today is the last day of school so I am skipping out during lunch to pick her up and say goodbye to the teachers. *sniff sniff* I am feeling a bit sentimental.

Hawaii : Sharing Our Budget

2013-06-10T20:56:00.002-04:00

As much as I am a budget traveler, it was hard to be cheap in Hawaii because everything was so expensive. That said, I still think we did well for a 12 nights / 13 days vacation for a family of four. I love reading about other people’s budgets so I thought I would share ours….along with some tips.

We spent $3474.18 on this vacation. I will break it down:

Transportation - $721.32

Hubs and I used up all of our United miles and only paid $30 (processing fee) for 3 tickets from IAD to OGG. At first, we considered buying a 4th ticket for Will, but decided not to in the end. It worked out well because had we had 4 seats, we would had to split up. With just 3 seats, we put up the arm rests and everyone sat comfortably (or as much as it was possible on a long flight). The rest of the transportation cost included car rental (mini van - $424.75), 2 car seats (cheapest ones we could find at Kmart - $103.10), one check-in luggage for both ways ($42), gas ($81.97), and cab home ($39.50).

Tip: Even after booking the car rental, hubs kept on checking the rate up until we left. The rate gradually got cheaper and cheaper and we were able to get the lowest rate possible for a mini van. Also, we bought our own car seats. It just worked out to be a better deal than renting them. We ordered them online back home and picked them up at Kmart when we landed. It took about 15 minutes. We left the car seats behind in Hawaii, we couldn't carry them back.

Lodging - $1882.45

The first week we stayed for free at Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, courtesy of my new sister-in-law’s sister. It was a 2-bedroom, 3-bathroom suite with a common area. My oldest brother and his wife stayed in one room (king size bed), my parents stayed in the common area (it had a fold-out couch) and our family stayed in the other room (king size bed and a fold-out couch). It had a tiny kitchenette with sink, mini-fridge, microwave, and dishwasher. Unfortunately, no stove. It was a very nice accommodation, great location, right on the beach, ocean view. No complaints. Especially since it was FREE.

Because we didn't have to pay for the first week, I didn't mind paying for a nice accommodation for the next 5 days. I didn't want to rough it like we did in Jamaica, especially with kids. So I picked Honua Kai, a posh new resort a little bit further north. Our 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom unit was nice – very clean and new. We had a full kitchen so we could cook meals at home. The washer and dryer came in handy. But -- there is always a but -- whenever we went outside, no matter the time of the day, it was ALWAYS windy. We read about it on TripAdvisor, but didn't think much about it. The constant wind just made it hard to enjoy the beach and the pool.

Tip: If we ever go back to Maui again, we will stay at the Maui Eldorado, which we also considered. It’s not beach front, but walking distance to the best stretch of Kaanapali. The rates are much reasonable, too.

Food - $638.95

There was no way around it, food was expensive in Hawaii. And with kids, we really couldn't skimp it. We never ate out for breakfast, though, so that saved a ton. We bought milk, yogurt, fruits, croissants, and muffins from the grocery store. Our two favorite places when we ate out were Pho Saigon 808 and LL Hawaiian BBQ. Best bang for your buck!

Tip: If we didn't stay for free at the Marriott, we would've stayed at a place with a full kitchen so we could cook more the first week. Yes, groceries were still more expensive than back home, but still cheaper than eating out.

Excursions - $114.21

The beach and the pool were free, which the kids enjoyed the most. Other excursions included Iao Valley (parking fee), whale watching, and the Maui Ocean Center.

Souvenirs - $102.22

We got some t-shirts and magnets for ourselves, but we also bought matching “Just Maui-ed” shirts for the bride and groom. It was part of their wedding present. Overall, $102.22 was a lot to spend on souvenirs, but Anna requests to wear her Hawaii shirts all the time so at least they did not go to waste.

Tips - $15.00

For the helpful bellhops who helped with our luggage.
---------

CONCLUSION: Looking back, what we could have saved on was the hotel for our second week. Hubs pushed for Maui Eldorado, but the mixed reviews had me concerned. But now having drove past by it several times during our trip and knowing its prime location, I have to admit that he was right. Ah, next time.

Still, $3500 for a vacation to Hawaii? Still pretty darn good in my book.

Summer 2013 Bucket List: Splashing & Strawberry Picking

2013-06-04T10:59:00.000-04:00

Summer is almost here, which means I have been making a mental list of stuff I want to do with the kids in the coming months. As I mentioned it before, this summer should be a good one for us. Instead of just physically hauling Will, like we did last year, he can actually join in on the activities. And this is good for Anna because she tends to have more fun when there is another little kid to play with.

Summer 2013, we are ready for you!!

We have already dusted off the water table…

and got SOAKED at this spray area next to the Target near us.

But this weekend, we checked off something that have been on my bucket list for a long time….strawberry picking!

Sure, it was $10 in gas to get there and the strawberries weren’t any cheaper than what we could buy at the grocery store, but it was a good experience for the kids to pick their own berries.

Will picked a couple before he decided he had enough and stepped into our basket of just-picked strawberries and squeezed them. Then we had to start all over.

Anna did a very good job of picking and choosing her strawberries.

I wasn't epecting a wagon ride to the strawberry fields (I assumed we would just walk), but that was a nice freebie and the kids loved it. We ended up picking $13-worth of strawberries. All deep red, juicy, sweet. I am a believer in ripe-on-the vine strawberries taste a whole lot better.

Just a note to self: we went to Homestead Farm in Poolesville, MD. It's not too far and offers peaches, apples, pumpkins, and even Christmas trees during different time of the year. It also has a handful of farm animals and picnic tables. Will visit again.

Anna's First School Performance

2013-06-03T08:49:00.000-04:00

We almost missed this annual event at Anna’s school due to Hawaii, but when I found out that the event was rained out and rescheduled, I quickly bought the outfit (luckily they still had in stock!) and hoped that Anna would be a willing performer.

The event was this past Saturday, held outdoors at the school, in the playground, under the trees, in the late afternoon. The place was full of happy families and lots of smiling children. It was really nice. Although, a bit hot.

So how did my little student do?

If you have two and half minutes, she’s the (extra) cute one in ponytail, right smacked in the middle between her teachers. Her class did so well, but I was especially proud of Anna. As you know, school hasn't always been easy.

All in all, I am just glad she enjoyed herself and had fun with it.

Will - 18.5 months update

2013-05-31T21:35:00.001-04:00

Since gotten back from Hawaii, I haven't been good at taking pictures. All these pictures/video were taken while on vacation, which was when Will actually turned 18 months.

Will is already 18.5 months so I am super late with this month’s update, but I didn’t want to let his BIG 18 MONTH go by without some kind of documentation. So here a short update on the little guy and I will do a longer update in another two weeks.

First things first, Will is 50 percentile in height and a whopping 95 percentile in weight. But even with that, it’s evident that he’s thinning out. Maybe it is because he didn’t eat as well on our long vacation or maybe he’s just reaching that stage. One thing I know for sure, I am going to miss my chunky monkey so much.

Will says a handful of words, but repeats a lot after us. My favorite word he says is “mama” – he doesn’t say it all that often, but it is the best when he runs to me and shouts “mama!” after a long day at work. He’s an affectionate guy and doesn’t mind my hugs, kisses, and squeezes. Hubs has been teaching Will letters and so far he knows A thru G. He knows the sound to a lot of other letters, though. He has no idea what numbers are. He’s very good at matching.

Will tried swimming for the first time in his life this month. And he loved it! He was hesitant first, and CLINGED to me, but it didn’t take him a long to get comfortable. I think this says a lot about his personality. He’s quick to adjust. He loves to be around people and isn’t afraid to join in, but that’s not to say that he doesn’t prefer his family over anything else. He loves to smile and saying hi. He laughs easily.

Now that Will understand that he can sort-of communicate, he’s more opinionated and demanding. And he throws a mean tantrum when we take things away. Like, the Kindle. Every morning, he gets some Kindle time and he kicks and screams when we take away. I give him plenty of warning and says “all done,” but I guess he doesn’t get that yet. Also, water. He can be happily eating his dinner and sees Anna drinking water. Then he will demand water and unless he gets his water, he won’t take another bite. He has other quirks. He doesn’t want the food that he has no intention to eat on his tray. He will hand it back to me, one by one. Funny, but annoying.

I am looking forward to this summer. Last summer Will was still so little that he couldn’t participate (or understand) in anything that we did. Now that he can run, he’s going to have so much fun wherever we go.

Will is becoming a little boy right before my very eyes. His big personality just kills me, and I so wish I could just put my fingers together and freeze time. I overheard a conversation the other day between coworkers about their grown (20-something) children and, after hearing that, I just wish I could keep my kids little forever.

lately / memorial day weekend

2013-05-28T08:45:00.000-04:00

1 / 2 picked up a fresh batch of library books and then to the playground for swing + slide.
3 / 4 bbq with family to kick off the unofficial start of summer. we grilled corn, ribs, and kabobs. for the kabobs, we marinated porterhouse steak with garlic pepper, cilantro, and oilve oil. everyone said it was delish.

5 / 6 it wasn't my idea to transition Will out of his crib at 18.5 months, but maybe it will turn out for the best. at least Anna loves bunking with her brother. ps. she requested for bunk beds, but later said she was scared to climb the ladder so we took it apart.
7 / 8 choo choo train ride with Grandma.

9 / 10 / 11 / 12 haha, i especially like #12...who needs a stroller? the kids thought it was so. much. fun.

13 lots of rearranging + cleaning went on over the long weekend due to 5 / 6.

Hawaii : Day 13 (Maui Ocean Center)

2013-05-23T09:16:00.000-04:00

I don’t know how I managed to do it, but I spent 13 days on Maui without going snorkeling. Not even once. I mean, we thought about it, but it would just be too hard taking turns wrangling two kids on land while the other snorkel. And on top of that, I am not really good in the water and, in the past, hubs always snorkeled right beside me (or at least somewhere close by) and we obviously couldn’t leave two kids on shore on their own. So nope, we didn’t do any snorkeling.* I felt like I missed out on the whole Hawaiian experience…who goes to Hawaii without seeing some fish?

So on the last day of our vacation, just before we head to the airport, we went to the Maui Ocean Center. We saw so many fish! And not just fish, but sharks, sting rays, green sea turtles, and tons of other aquatic creatures. Just call it our version of hassle-free snorkeling. The kids were mesmerized, as was I.

The admission was steep, but so worth it. They were both absolutely thrilled to be there. Although I don’t think Anna cared for the sharks while we had to pull Will away. It was a good 1-2 hours spent before having to go to the airport and hop on the plane.

After we were packed and before we checked out of the hotel, we went to the beach one last time.

The drive to the Maui Ocean Center was along the coast. We stopped at a lookout for pictures.

Ah, Hawaii, I miss you already. So pretty. PS. This is probably our best family shot during the trip. All looking at the camera, but only 3 out of 4 smiling.

So many yellow tangs.

Face to face with a shark.

The best part of the aquarium was the underwater tunnel that put you in the position of having fish, sharks, and even gigantic sting rays swim around you.

I was half expecting the wait at the airport to be painful, but it went by fast. We bought a drink and it entertained them for a good 30 minutes.

Then another 30 minutes passed just having a good time watching the plane through the glass and walking on the platform.

The 9-hour flight we endured (from Honolulu to DC) wasn't too bad. The kids slept, but couldn't get comfortable. Hubs and I both agree that no more trips like this again until the kids are older. We will most likely have more road trips than trips where we need to fly from now on. It's just easier that way.

* Hubs did snorkel for about 10 minutes at Black Rock on our first day there. We were with family. I could've gone, too, but I was in a bad mood. Haha, long story.

Hawaii : Day 12 (Whale Watching)

2013-05-21T09:47:00.002-04:00

A long time ago, I blogged about a snorkeling excursion in Belize and said that it was the worst excursion ever. Ha, I take that back. I actually found something to top that. Ohmigod, the whale watching excursion we went on in Maui on Day 12, it was an absolute torture for the kids…and therefore, by default, me.

It was fine in the beginning, we picked a spot right on the deck with a great view. The kids were excited about being on a boat. Their first! They laughed, screamed, clapped, and even danced. We were all in a great mood and ready to see some whales!

Twenty minutes later, with no whales in sight and sweaty from the hot sun, we went under the cover to cool off. This was when Will started to get fussy, really fussy. At first I thought it was because he wanted to be out on the deck so I took him back out, but that didn’t help. For the next half hour, it was a dance of me sitting down, getting up, walking around until he finally fell asleep in my arms. I thought he was just due for a nap (even though he had just cat-napped in the car on the way to the pier), but later realized that he was suffering from motion sickness. Luckily, one he fell asleep, he slept for the rest of the trip.

And he didn’t miss much. We didn’t see any whales.

As for Anna, she got sea sick, too. I could tell by her tired face. Hubs held her and she fell asleep as well, but she was so good and didn’t complain at all.

I guess it could’ve been worse. One kid (a young teenager?) threw up all over the table. At least mine just slept. But it was seriously the longest two-hour ever. When Will began to go crazy, I wish I could just turn the boat around. Screw the whales! Get me off the frickin’ boat!

Haha, now that I wrote it all out, it didn’t seem THAT bad. With little kids, you just kind of have to go with the flow and laugh about it. Really, the guaranteed fun for them was just spending time in the pool or at the beach, but this Mama wanted to do more. I seriously did think they would enjoy it, though. Never expected that they would get sick.

Once we got off the boat, they were happy once again. Even more so after we downed a mango smoothie.

The fun before the storm.

Both kids out. Haha, look at my happy face. Hubs' face was for real, though. He took it all in stride.

Blue ocean, blue sky, gorgeous day. But WHERE ARE THE WHALES?!
We drank that smoothie fast.

Dancing under the bayan trees.

We knew that the kids were done with their naps for the day, so we shopped a little.

And took a picture for a comparion. What do you think? I haven't aged a bit, right? :) Excuse my funny eyes, though, I was squinting from the bright sun.

Hawaii : Day 11 (Baby Beach)

2013-05-19T21:21:00.000-04:00

Home sweet home! We are back from Hawaii. After a smooth-but-uncomfortable 9-hour plane ride, we landed on Friday around noon. We are still recovering from jet lag, but it seems easier to adjust back to EST. I return to work tomorrow....for real. While in Hawaii, I received an email from my boss that I've been placed on a project. So, tomorrow, I actually have to get myself dressed and butt out of the door. It's going to be an adjustment, after having a month and half off. I wish I had another week to get myself organized after a long vacation, but I guess it's better to keep the paychecks coming!

I knew about Baby Beach all along, but it took us until Day 11 to visit the place. I only wish we had gone sooner. It was truly a safe haven for the kids. Unlike other beaches with big waves, Baby Beach has coral reefs that blocked the waves, creating a shallow little kid-friendly spot for splashing around.

Anna and Will entertained themselves with the buckets and shovels that we brought, or just simply waddle in the water. Because the water was calm and we didn't have to worry about any waves, hubs and I were able to sit on our blankets in the shade and enjoyed ourselves, too. We only left because it was close to lunch and nap time.

Proof that the kids had fun.

You could walk all the way out and it was only about waist deep. Can you spot me?

The best toy of all is hubs. He army crawled on his tummy and totally made them laugh.

Before we left the Baby Beach area, we took some pictures at Jodo Mission, which we just happened to came across when we parked our car.

That night we went to town of Lahaina for dinner. Will was claiming independence and didn't want to hold our hands.

They had the most fun sticking their heads through the fence and watching the waves crashing into the rocks.

Eating ice cream while watching sunset by the waterfront -- life doesn't get much better.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture of me and my girl.

Day 11 was hands down one of the best days we had in Maui.

Hawaii : Day 10 (Road to Hana)

2013-05-16T02:02:00.002-04:00

We weren't planning on driving the Road to Hana. Hubs and I have done it before, and while the view was beautiful along the coast, it was a long drive that we were sure that the kids would not enjoy. But on Day 10, I felt restless so we packed a picnic lunch, filled up the tank, and took off.

Sigh. The long Road to Hana was made longer by two screaming kids in the backseat. Anna and Will are usually very good in the car, so I wasn't expecting all the drama. But in the end, I am still glad we did it. It's just one of those things "you had to do" while in Maui.

We didn’t make nearly as many stops as the average Hana traveler might (hiking to waterfalls wasn’t so easy with the kids) but we did try to take in as much as possible from the road itself – like stopping at scenic lookouts.

Our final destination before turning back was the Waianapanapa State Park, home to the black sand beach. I don't think Anna ever had a worse-r time than she had at this beach. It started out fine, until she got splashed by some waves while inside a cave. Then it all went down hill -- she cried and screamed that the beach was "dirty, messy, and stinky" and refused to be put down. Will, on the other hand, LOVED the beach. He loved getting splashed by the waves and wanted to walk everywhere (even climbing the stairs) all on his own.

Anyway, the Road to Hana....we did not make any long-lasting memories here, but we survived. The kids both took a nap on the way back and when they woke up, they were happy and laughing and having a good time.

While the kids were asleep in the car, hubs and I sneaked out and climbed a little waterfall.

The exact same spot where we had a flat tire when we visited back in 07.

Inside a creepy cave.

The boys couldn't get enough of the black sand and hubs even wanted to go for a swim. I stayed behind to calm a hysterical Anna.

The stunning view.

The sign says, "Do not go beyond this point," so he went beyond it.

Finally back at the resort and stretching his ~~legs~~ fins.

She forgot all about the traumatic time she had at the black sand beach.

Anna is getting really good at taking pictures!

Hawaii : Day 8 + 9 (Mother's Day)

2013-05-14T20:34:00.000-04:00

Day 8 was a transition day for us...we said goodbye to family members (who were all leaving to go home or another island) and moved to a new resort further up north. Our new home has two bedrooms and a full kitchen (the Marriott only had a microwave and mini-fridge), which is great for us with little ones. Instead of going out for a meal that costs a minimum of $50 (and kids eating two bites of it), we bought a bunch of groceries and having been cooking at home.

The first and last hammock ride before checking out at the Marriott.

At first, I thought having a 2 bedroom was a total luxury, but it is actually a necessity.

$77 worth of groceries. Bet I could have gotten the same things for a third of the price back home.

It was a happy accident for us to get a ground level room, the screen door opens completely and we have our own patio and garden.

The next day was Mother's Day. Happy belated Mother's Day to all the mothers in my life! We had a really low-key Mother's Day at the resort, just spending time as a family by the pool & beach. These past few days have been difficult. Hubs and I are getting NO relaxation on this vacation. Everything is work. For example, taking them to the pool. It's a whole production of wrangling the kids into bathing suits, putting on shoes, getting stuff (water/snack/towel) packed, keeping a close watch on them at the pool, dealing with meltdowns, and then cleaning them when we get back. Oh, and breaking up fights through it all. It's exhausting.

On the other hand, when they are not fighting, Anna and Will play really well together and their squeals of laughter make our hearts so full. It reminds me that being a Mom is pretty darn good!

Thanks kids for making me a Mama - I love you guys!

Prior to this trip, neither of them had spent much time in the water. In fact, Will had none. It makes me happy that both have become little swimmers.

Will refused to get off of me.

Their first sand castle. I thought it was quite magnificent.

Hawaii : Day 7 (Wedding Day)

2013-05-12T18:33:00.001-04:00

I don't know what's up with Will lately, but he has been a total Mama's boy. I am the one who has to hold him and feed him, and if I don't, a complete meltdown follows. This phase needs to be over, like, now.

My brother's wedding was this past Friday. Will was in one of his Mama-only mood and he was stuck to me the whole night. I scarfed down my steak and potatoes at record speed while he sat on my lap and poked the lettuce with a fork. Oh, and he's also on a hunger strike and only had maraschino cherries and croutons.

The wedding...it was nice, sweet, and simple. I will admit it, when my brother first told me about his wedding in Maui, although there wasn't a doubt that I would be there, I was annoyed. Dragging two kids on a 10+ hour flight with a 6-hour time difference? It sounded no fun. But now it is over, it was definitely worth all the trouble to be there for him.

His life was apparently ending when I had to put him down to get dressed.

Having a great time at the beach.

One of the few moments where he was okay with being held by hubs.

The reception was held under a tent by the beach!

I am usually not a messy eater and my hand isn't that chubby.

Pretty much the entire night was like this.

I wore my new maxi dress from Anthropologie!

At the end of the night, my cousin finally won him over.

Oh yeah, what's a wedding without the bride and groom?

The groom, my brother, Uncle Andy.

Exchanging rings.

Hawaii : Day 6 (Iao Valley State Park)

2013-05-10T19:21:00.001-04:00

On Day 6, we took a 45-minute scenic drive to Iao Valley State Park. Hubs and I have been there before on our honeymoon and I remember it being one of my favorite places in Maui. It was serene, lush with greenery, and mystic....so we decided to take the kids there. Forget the mountains and the streams and the natural beauty, they had the most fun playing with some rocks inside a little hut. Haha, it was all good, I was just happy they found something to entertain themselves.

On the way back, we stopped by Lahaina town to have the famous Ululani's shave ice. It doesn't hold a candle to Sno Dream, but it was just what I needed on a hot day to cool off. Then we just had to stop by Pho Saigon 808 again to get some noodles to-go.

Will had already napped in the car so we delayed Anna's nap time and went straight to the pool once we got back to the resort. The kids are getting more and more comfortable in the water. Anna doesn't even need the donut ring anymore and can get by with arm bends. She's fast, too.

We wrapped up the day with watching the sunset on the beach.

Here is a tip. We bought these car seats at Kmart for $50 each. It's cheaper than renting them from the car rental, not to mention cleaner. We will try to take them back home.

We came to the park to see this, the Iao Needle.

Carrying these two around is giving all of us a workout.

Yup, I make them wear matching shirts. I am THAT mom.

Under the little hut where they threw rocks.

I am sure we will be back to Maui some day and it will be fun to do a comparison picture at the same spot.

Shaved ice with mochi!

Just lounging. Living the good life.

The end of Day 6.

Hawaii : Day 5 (Lahaina Town)

2013-05-09T22:42:00.001-04:00

If it wasn't for my brother's wedding, Hawaii is probably one of the last places I would think to take my young children. I mean, we are spending a small fortune to be here, yet we haven't had a perfectly good day, without tantrums and whines. Seriously? I would rather just stay home. Or vacation somewhere closer and less costly. But. My brother is getting married and it's my duty as his sister to be here.

Yesterday morning we played in the sand before heading to Front Street for some shopping and lunch. The kids had a ball running under the bayan trees. We stayed there for a while because the trees provided shade from the hot sun and I love watching my kids laugh and run. Then we had the best meal since we have been here at Pho Saigon 808. The service was good and the food was even better.

About 10 minutes after I instagram-ed this picture, Anna was in tears and we left.

Will still doesn't like the beach all that much. He cries and whines and demands to be held.

They ran back and forth under this arch. It's the little things that make their hearts sing.

Hubs and the kids at the Lahaina waterfront.

A group shot!

I love my boy and he cracks me up. He was overdue for a nap and he finally couldn't fight it anymore while eating noodles. I wasn't laughing when I had to carry all 29 pounds of him to the car, though.

Will -- Day 5 in Hawaii. Happy & swimming like a fish!

Hawaii : The Luau

2013-05-08T23:50:00.000-04:00

Last night 21 of us went to the Old Lahaina Luau. It was another pre-wedding family get-together and I thought it was a fun experience overall. The best part of the evening for me was seeing Will getting all excited about the entertainment. He clapped after every act and signed for more. Haha, so cute! Traditional Hawaiian food isn't Anna's cup of tea. She hardly ate a thing. To be honest, they are not mine either...but I still ate. :)

Anna's ponytail is back.

If only Anna was smiling and Will was wearing a lei.

Give the guy a big green field to run on and he's all good.

Unearth of the pig!

They were using forks to block the sun.

As I said, I don't like traditional Hawaiian food.

Family, traveling from the East Coast, New Zealand, and Taiwan.

The hula girls.

Hawaii : Day 3 + Day 4

2013-05-07T22:07:00.000-04:00

Isn't it a bummer when it rains on a vacation? Especially on a beach vacation? Yesterday it looked pretty much like this on and off the whole day:

RAIN. RAIN. RAIN.

Since we are here for my brother's wedding, my whole family is actually here in Maui. We are all staying at the same place (connecting rooms), which makes getting together easier.

Anna made a paper lei for Grandpa at a resort activity for kids.

The rain stopped just in time for our evening BBQ with my brother's future wife's family. The kids ran around at the playground.

Today, the clouds parted and the sun came out. We wasted no time in hitting the pool.

Will is still afraid of the water, but he loves the shallow pool.

Anna tried out the donut ring pool for the first time and learned how to do it all on her own immediately! She kicks and gets around!

Will and I stayed at the sideline.

Adjusting to the 6 hour time difference has been hard for all of us. So we have been taking it easy. Just relaxing by the pool....and it's totally fine by me. But tonight we are going to a luau! I am excited. It will be my first.

Hawaii : Day 1 + Day 2

2013-05-06T11:43:00.001-04:00

ALOHA FROM MAUI!

After long day of flying with some emotional outbursts, the whole family is now safe and sound on this little island. Uncle Andy's wedding is at the end of the week, until then, there will be lots of pooling and beaching.

We survived the long day with too much screen time and treats.

Fortunately, they both slept from LAX to OGG. Hubs and I were human pillows.

When we arrived to our hotel room, it was pitch dark, so we didn't actually see this view until the next morning.

The view outside of our window. Will, especially, loves the balcony.

We are staying at the Marriott's Maui Ocean Club. This is the kiddie shallow pool.

You can hardly see it, but I have a flower tucked behind my ear too.

She kept on saying she wanted to build a sand castle.

We are still trying to conquer Will's fear of the ocean, so for now, only smiles from Anna.

We all feel like this by 11am.

Look at our herb garden!

2013-04-29T21:37:00.001-04:00

The off-and-on drizzle these past few days have been just what our little garden needed. The basil plants are especially thriving and I can't wait until they are big and full. If you haven't tried growing green onion, you should really do it. They practically take care of themselves. And for the first time, we are attempting to grow jalapeno and habenrio peppers.

Ah, our garden puts a smile on my face. Thanks to hubs I never have to get dirty either.

Call me social media slow poke,

2013-04-28T14:21:00.000-04:00

but I finally get what the fuss is all about. Instagram is my new favorite. It turns my daily (read: poorly lit, not well composed, and probably blurry) photos into fun memory pieces. It's a pretty neat app, but I am sure most of you already knew that. As I said, I am a social media slow poke.

We had another great outing to Meadowlark yesterday. It seems like we go there every weekend, doesn't it? Haha, I promise we expose our kids to other places! But yesterday, we were about to just stay in because Anna has the runny nose when, at the last minute, we decided the weather was too beautiful to not go out. So a 10-minute drive later, we were there and I instagram-ed like a madwoman.

Then we stayed out for lunch. We went to this nearby Chinese restaurant that specializes in fresh hand-pulled noodles. Fresh noodles really do taste better, no lie. Not sure how to describe it. Texture? Density? I would love for this restaurant to be our go-to place, just like Pho 75. The food is good (the kids love the noodles!), but the service sucks so I honestly don't know how often we will be going back.

children's books that are worth reading

2013-04-27T14:14:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I let a week slip by without blogging. I mean, things haven't been busy. In fact, they have been downright slow of late. I am still waiting for a project to come along, Anna is still not-crying at school, and Will is still as cute as ever. We are all doing well.

It's Saturday afternoon and both kids are napping, so I thought I would write a quick post on....children's books!

I will fully admit it - sometimes the books we check out from the library bore me to tears and I find myself at the end of the book having no recollection of what I just read aloud. Does this happen to you too? This is precisely why I like to borrow books base on recommendations and if you are in the same boat, here are some books that we've read lately that I think are pretty good. As you can see, we are a big fan of Mo Willem (love the repetition of words, easy for Anna to "read" on her own) and recently discovered Julia Donaldson (love her clever rhymes). These books are terrific for preschoolers.

What the Ladybug Heard
The Snail and the Whale
Room on the Broom
Bob and Otto
Knuffle Bunny (and Knuffle Bunny Too)
Piggy and Elephant books (Lets Go for a Drive!, We Are in a Book!, There is a Bird on Your Head!, Share I Share my Ice Cream?, I Broke my Trunk!, Listen to My Trumpet!, and a lot more)

What books have you read lately that I should be borrowing from the library? Do tell.

Will - 17 months update

2013-04-19T08:21:00.001-04:00

Will turned 17 months old on Monday! He exhausts us with his seemingly boundless energy — but he is also so much more fun with each passing day. He is definitely his own little independent person with his own little opinions and preferences, but he still loves to snuggle with us.

Sleep

Will is completely transitioned to one nap. His nap is generally 2.5 to 3 hours long. Ideally, he should go down for his nap at 12 noon, but because we want him to be on the same schedule as Anna, he sleeps at 1p. As long as we keep him busy, he's not fussy about it. So he naps from 1p to 3:30 to 4p. Pretty good! But what's more great is that even if he doesn't wake up until 4p, we still put him to sleep around 7:20p at night. I don't know when he actually falls asleep, but he's cool about staying in his crib quietly. Hooray for a kid with good sleeping habits!

But on this particular day, he woke up unusually early so I brought him to bed with us and he fell right back to sleep.

Eat

OK, I will admit here that eating is not going as well as it used to be. He used to eat and eat and eat. But now he self-feeds a little bit and says done. If he really only had a little bit, I will coax him to eat more by distracting him with toys while I shoving food into his mouth. He's still getting bottles of milk, but doesn't drink as much as he did.

Just like me, he prefers salty foods over sweets!

He's still a chunky little monkey, so I am not concerned at all. I think he's probably about 28 pounds.

Behavior

As I said it again and again, Will has a very good temper. He tolerates his sister's grabbing, pulling, and pushing. He doesn't get easily frustrated when playing with toys. And he doesn't whine or cry unless there is a very good reason. He's a very good boy.

He's really loving Pesto.

Apparently, this book was sooooo funny!

Talking

Verbally, Will is definitely not as far ahead as Anna when she was his age, but he has surprised me every now and then with words. He can say "Pesto" perfectly. He says, "go" when he wants to ride with us to preschool. I think he knows some body parts - like eyes, nose, ear, fingers. I haven't even begin trying to teach him numbers, colors, or shapes, though.

He's also getting much better at communicating and understanding commands overall. If he's hungry, he will go to his booster seat, pulls off the tray, and tries to climb up. When hubs squeezes soap onto the sponge, he knows to stand up for his lather. He throws away trash.

Things I want to remember:
- His wobbly run.
- His kissable tummy.
- His dance by stomping his feet up and down.
- Our nightly dance to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" before bed.
- That he scoots himself back slowly to sit down on our front stoop.
- And a lot more, but I just can't remember right now. :(

It finally happened!

2013-04-17T14:30:00.001-04:00

It is truly a momentous day.

Today, since starting school on January 2nd, Anna did not cry at drop off.

Wooohooo!!

I've mentioned before that Anna was having a very hard time adjusting to school. You can read all about it here and here. After all these months of stressing and worrying, we were about to pull the trigger and just try again in September when the miracle finally happened.

She stopped.

It all started to unfold last week - an usual ONE AND HALF hour of crying fest turned to sobbing for 30 minutes. Then it was 10 seconds. Then, today, nothing. Not a peep. Just a "Mama, I love you!" and off she went into her classroom. I caught her giving her teacher a hug as I walked away. I am so proud of her! :) :) :)

Now, I don't expect that she will never cry at school again, but it's a great feeling knowing that she can do it. That she has made a significant progress since January. It took her a while to get here, but slow and steady wins the race, right? Haha.

It happened to be report card day...and here is what the teacher had to say:

This totally calls for a celebration.

rainbow park fun

2013-04-15T13:48:00.002-04:00

It seems like whenever there is a nice day, people (with kids) flock to Clemenjontri. It's such a great little (except that it's actually pretty big) park for the kids to run around....and we almost always cap off the trip with a spin around the carousel. It's a guaranteed good time. I love that it's an easy trip -- we go early in the morning and back in time for lunch & nap. No need to spend any money at all.

These pictures are from Saturday. It was Will's first time there since he could walk. He soaked it all up. Running everywhere. Look at him on that balance beam! I was so surprised that he didn't fall. He also went down a few slides, but we might have gave him a nudge or two there. I adore his wide open smile on the carousel. He's definitely his sister's brother.

And Anna...I don't know if it is because she's just older now or because she's more socialized due to preschool, but she had no trouble joining other kids in on the fun. She's no longer that girl who is glued to my hips.

Overall, a good time for all. Anna has already asked to go back twice.

This post reminds me of this one. You must click here to find the similarities.

cute pictures alert! (plus a job update)

2013-04-11T09:53:00.000-04:00

(Will - almost 17 months old :: Anna - almost 3 years and 1 month old)

This post is mainly to share the photos (super-cute, don't you think?) above, but I also have a small update on my job. So...two Fridays ago, my project ended and I have been back "on the bench" since last Monday. We are hopeful that the client will bring us back in May/June, but in the meantime, I have been doing job search of my own, both internally and externally. Job searching doesn't take up the whole day, which means more time with the kiddos AND free time to myself. It's pretty wonderful! So nice to have a break.

The above pictures were taken two days ago. I was feeling kind of bored after their nap so I put them in sort-of matching outfits for pictures. Haha. I love them in shorts and white tees.