Skip-It

這個小妮子運動細胞超好的
沒有什麼東西難得倒她
(除了騎腳踏車)
前一陣子看到鄰居小女生在玩這個
爸爸覺得很棒 吩咐我去找一個
買回來就有這種快樂的表情

我去買這個東西的時候
不知道它的名字
就問服務人員怎麼找像ball & chain的玩具
那位服務生說,"you mean a husband?"
笑死我了

Truly a Weekend to Remember

this past weekend, B and i attended a marriage conference called weekend to remember. i had wanted to attend this conference ever since i heard about it on the radio a few years ago, but it was never held near where we lived. however, when we heard about this conference in the area this time, i really didn't have the desire to go until i felt some prompting from the Holy Spirit when i was in one of my BSF classes. i called B while he was still in california and signed up right away. the conference was, of course, a weekend event. the sessions started at 7:oo on friday evening and ended at around 4:00 on sunday afternoon. the topics dealt with threats to oneness, marital roles, parenting, and most important of all, communication. we were really amazed at the amount of people at the conference. there were about 3800 people, and one of the speakers said the DFW conference is one of their largest conferences. i wondered if there's a lower divorce rate in the north texas area!

did i learn anything new about marriage and how to make it work? actually, i'd say no but i've never had it presented to me in such a well-organized and concise way. after being married for nearly 9 years now, i really needed to be refreshed on a lot of the areas covered. things were more meaningful now that we've experienced first hand the trials in a marriage. what struck me most was how much protection God has place in our lives because if we had simply relied on ourselves, we'd be headed for destruction. i especially loved the sessions on the responsibility of a wife and as a mom. these are the two areas that i've been struggling with. i think the stresses in our lives from the past couple of years have really eroded my ability to see past my own needs to be the wife i ought to be. i've also felt some real and imaginary challenges to my role as a mom. having renewed understanding of God's plan in these areas for me is helping me to not conform to the world and thrive despite the world.

the weekend was also awesome for the chance for B and i to have undivided attention for each other. as our lives get busier and busier, it's becoming harder to find time to devote to each other and our relationship. this weekend afforded us time to really sit down to share intimately without the distractions from 2Z and our surroundings. and it really was a challenge to not be distracted since right before we were to go to the conference, we discovered a leak in our house and found water damage in a section of our ceiling. we even had to leave early from the conference to meet with the repairman. now the challenge is to remember what we've learned and really apply them in our daily lives. one thing that sticks out in my mind is that marriage is a lifetime commitment, not just a feeling of love. we love each other not for the things we do but for the gift that each is to the other. we've gained so much from this experience, and now i understand why couples continue to go back to the conference.

we are really thankful for our friends S&K for taking care of 2Z while we were gone. they've been a tremendous help in our move to texas and has continue to support us in many ways. i hope we've been able to convey how much we appreciate their friendship.

i highly recommend every couple to attend this conference. go to family life to find out more. it's also a great site for resources on parenting!

Class Bear

class bear應該要怎麼翻譯呢? 我就把它叫做班級小熊吧! 自從Zozo和Bobo開始上preschool後, 幾乎每年都會有一隻班級小熊到我們家來參觀, 然後我們家的小朋友就會回去學校做個小報告, 跟大家說小熊到我們家做了些什麼事.

今年Bobo班上的Buddy Bear來我們家玩了一個禮拜. 我們第一天就帶著這隻熊去吃飯, 到朋友家玩, 然後再帶回家和Bobo一起睡覺. 那天剛好是我們的family sleep night, 小朋友在我們房間打地鋪, 可憐的小熊就被推到床底下. out of sight, out of mind. 小熊在那裡待了好幾天. 到要交回去前一天, 我趕緊找出來拍一堆照片. 這次的報告要做幾頁scrapbook pages, 所以那就是媽媽我的功課啦! 等小孩子上床後, 我就開使趕作業了, 結果忘了拍scrapbook的照片.

我已經好久沒scrapbook了. 這次做Bobo的功課時, 一開始一點概念都沒有, 不知道從那裡開始, 還把雜誌抱出來找靈感, 做了幾頁之後才慢慢順手. 真的要從新開始scrapbook了, 不然越來越多的照片, 都快忘記照片背後的故事, 而且堆太多也會不能catch up!

Zozo的拖鞋

Zozo的老師為了獎勵學生的好行為
過一陣子就讓學生投票選做一些大家想做的事
之前有吃popcorn, 穿睡衣, 和帶最喜歡的玩偶去上學
這次是讓學生穿家居拖鞋去上學
昨天一放學 Zozo就急著要買一雙slippers
結果店裡都換季了 找不到家裡穿的拖鞋了
全部都換成夾腳鞋了(flipflops)
看著她失望的小臉
我就建議買一雙來diy 做成跟別人不一樣的鞋子

因為Zozo現在很喜歡tie-dye 我們就買了一些tie-dyed不織布
剪成一條一條的綁在鞋子上
雖然真的不怎麼樣 (看爸爸的表情就知道了)
可是應該不會有人跟她有一樣的鞋子吧

Bobo開始自己唸書了

最近Bobo越來越會認字 可以開始自己唸一些簡單的書了
嫩嫩的聲音唸Green Eggs & Ham 超可愛地
請把頭再往左彎 因為我又把相機拿錯方向了

星期六的早餐

B剛出差回來 一早就起來做早餐給我們吃

spinach and tomato omelet

老公做的早餐都好好吃

我就做草莓和藍莓的smoothie配爸爸的愛心早餐

Fun Toy

i bought this construction set for Z boy during spring break that he's enjoying immensely. it comes with easy picture instructions that he could follow by himself. the price can't be beat, too, since it's 4 to 5 times less than some of the other sets we have at home. he's spent hours by himself building different things such as a bike, a tractor, and a helicopter. the parts are not too small for him to handle since his fine motor skills need a lot of improvement. this set has proven especially practical when Z girl has to practice piano. Z boy can sit quietly right next to us building his stuff without disturbing Z girl. and after she finished practicing, Z girl got a turn putting some stuff together.

it's also fun to do with a parent. Z boy can show Daddy exactly what to do!

for the record

這幾天 B出差不在家
小孩子就跟我一起睡
已經很久沒這樣做了
雖然我們每個週末都有family sleep night
可是他們都是在我們房間打地鋪

很少有機會上床來

這次一起睡發現他們兩個長大了好多

抱在一起不再有胖胖嫩嫩的感覺

翻身踢腳都讓我很不舒服

還差點抱不起Zozo了

真的好快喔

我的綠色新鞋鞋
前幾天決定要買鞋子
後來發現這雙在減價是一樣的牌子趕緊帶回家了
自從生孩子之後 就越來越少打扮自己
全神貫注的當家庭主婦
加上身材也越來越像歐巴桑
衣服就隨便穿了 有時候還撿朋友不要的
可是對鞋子我還是有點堅持
不太願意穿太便宜的
記得懷Bobo的時候腳漲到鞋子都穿不下
想說只是短時間就去Wal-Mart買了一雙
結果不到兩個星期就破了
加上我遺傳到老爹超會長水泡的腳
所以現在寧願不買 不然就要買quality好一點的

這雙是要送給媽媽的生日禮物

媽媽已經去台灣三個月了

雖然平常她也不住在德州

可是在同一個國家

感覺還是比較近

而且我很豬頭 老是搞不清楚時間

結果就不太敢太常打電話去

很想念媽咪 Zozo也很想阿媽

所以今年不必姐姐提醒就想好禮物了

快回來收禮吧

購書單

給媽媽的shopping list

1. 鼴鼠姊妹花--繪本加閱讀cd
2. 小雞逛超市--工藤紀子著
3. 怕浪費的奶奶--真珠真理子著
4. 媽媽買綠豆--曾陽晴著
5. 中國民俗節日故事10本--國語日報社出版
6. 我愛大溪地粉紅--米力著
7. 小朋友美力--傅娟著
8. 回到20-- 傅娟著

如果皮箱還裝得下的話 也請買
北海小英雄 和 小英的故事 卡通dvd

還有不要忘記叫克瑄幫我吃摩斯漢堡的布蕾

Dallas Arboretum

上星期六, 天氣很棒, 這裡的植物園有花展, 我們就約了教會的一群朋友一起去玩.
大家的年紀相近, 可是朋友的小孩都比較小, Zozo和Bobo就充當小babysitters.

植物園有一個兒童遊樂區, 有個迷你pioneer village. 小朋友們在小木屋間跑來跑去好快樂, 後來大家就選在一間木屋前照全家福, 朋友的女兒堅持要跟我們一起照, 哈哈! 我可不介意多個女兒, 只要不要我生就好了.要一群從一歲到七歲的小朋友乖乖坐著照相, 真是mission impossible! 大家都像毛毛蟲動個不停, 我們大概照了五張, 每張都不一樣, 其實我更喜歡這種照片, 更顯示小朋友的特性.

後來大家又累又餓 就找了塊有蔭的草地, 坐下來吃我們的野餐, 不過好多爸媽都只帶了小孩子的食物, 還得去餐廳買自己吃的. 那天坐在樹蔭下微風徐徐, 後來又有人來演奏輕音樂, 真的好舒服, 讓大人們都好想躺下來好好得睡一覺.

小朋友當然還是精力旺盛, 在草坪上跑來跑去, 這張照片像不像"真善美"的片頭那幕, 我看了腦海就出現"the hills are alive with the sound of music...!"

大家會不會覺得很奇怪都沒有花草的照片? 說實在的, 那天的人多到不行, 每走一步就要閃別人的相機, 加上要顧一群小孩子, 我們實在沒辦法欣賞任何東西, 下次我們還要再來一次仔細地看看.

All Things Green...

so my obsession with the color green is starting to creep up everywhere. to welcome the spring or summer since texas seems to have missed spring, i've updated the throw pillows in our family room with some new green pillows. they look lovely to me, even though i don't think they go quite right with the patterns on the chairs. i think i need two smaller minty green ones on the couch. they will make their way into our house soon enough.

this is another one of my green acquisitions--my delicious minty new bike! it's been a long time since i had my own bike after my old one from college was sold about 5 years ago. come to think of it, that one was green, too! anyway, we got it at rei with our member dividends plus a member discount so in all, we paid a little less than $36. what a steal! but after riding it for about half an hour, i've developed a slight saddle sore. hmmm, guess i'll have to keep riding to get used to that.

another green thing i've been eyeing for a couple of weeks now. just can't make up my mind on whether to get it or not. the weather is starting to warm up quite nicely here so i know i'll be living in my flip-flops for the next six months. would i really wear them or should i just save the money and contribute it to Z girl's spring wardrobe instead? hmmm, the dilemma.

Spring Break

這個禮拜我們在放春假. 通常這種假期我們都會出城去玩, 可是今年的春假實在太早來到, 害我完全沒準備, 只好乖乖的留在家裡.

這幾天我和小朋友就在家附近玩. 星期一我帶Zozo和Bobo去麥當勞吃午餐, 後來又去公園玩, 享受一下超舒服的天氣. 星期二, 我們買了一大堆craft supplies, 做了很多東西, 還廢物利用做了這隻dragon. 後來我們還看了Bridge toTerabithia. 我已經很久沒有自己買電影票了. 常聽說現在電影票很貴, 可是我都沒什麼感覺, 這次真的了解了, 還好小朋友看的高興就好了. 這兩天B請了兩天假帶著我們到處玩.

這次的假期真的過得很愜意. 我是說我喔! 我不必天還沒亮就起床, 可以睡到飽才起床, B那時也把咖啡煮好了, 讓老公服侍的日子真不錯. 每天還可以跟小孩子們盡情得玩, 不需要擔心功課做好了沒有, 讀書只是為了讀書而不是因為學校規定. 有一天晚上我和Zozo玩遊戲玩了兩個小時, 也不怕她第二天睡眠不足. 這種日子會越來越少了吧!

我在忙什麼?

最近迷上編織
一天到晚有新的project
可是都沒什麼成果
因為太龜毛了 沒有一樣看的順眼
所以織好就又拆掉

很想做個能看的東西
就決定幫兩個孩子各做一條毯子
通通用勾的 因為真的比較簡單
目前Bobo的已經做了三分之二
可是快沒動力了
最近氣溫達到華氏70幾度
不太想和一大堆毛線過日子了

昨晚終於完成了56個granny squares
剛開使一個小時勾不到兩個square
後來可以十五分鐘做出一個
現在開始把它們一個一個接起來
最後計劃加上紅色和綠色的邊
希望這個完成之後還會繼續做Zozo的毯子
那時候不知道會不會一百度了

呼啦圈

我們去年搬家時把Zozo舊的呼啦圈弄丟了
她要求我們再買一個 可是每次去買東西都忘記
昨天晚上爸爸帶著兩個去買東西
就帶了個會發光的呼啦圈回來
兩個小孩子高興得搖個不停


Bobo搖的時候手都要抬高高的

Zozo以前就會搖了 可以搖很久