全家福?!

今天終於記得帶相機去學校把Zozo畫的全家福拍下來。我第一次看到的時候覺得很奇怪，怎麼多了兩個人出來? 後來問了才知道她把小表弟們也加進去了。 小女生覺得 extended family 和 immediate family 沒差，可是怎麼看都好像是把舅舅的兒子們搶來了! 好險她沒跟我們要多一點弟弟和妹妹。

He Loves Ice Cream

最近體操課的時間有變動，變成Zozo星期二要跟我一起等一個半小時，Bobo星期四等半個小時。這個星期二Zozo做了一些功課，然後也很有耐心地等到最後十分鐘才開使扭來扭去，我就帶她去吃了冰淇淋as a treat。Bobo下課出來後，也討著要。我跟他說等到星期四再吃，結果他就開始哭，等到家後還撲到床上哭。真是讓我看了又氣又好笑!

好不容易等到星期四，Bobo竟然還記得，把Zozo送去上課後，就馬上帶他去買了個ice cream cone.


他一個人真的把那麼大的cone吃完，真不可思議! 為什麼吃正餐的時候就都沒胃口?!

握筆的方式

小時候，為了握筆和拿筷子的方式，被爸爸念加罵到耳朵長繭，現在想起來還是很不爽。輪到Zozo和Bobo，我就讓他們順其自然，怎麼拿順手就怎麼拿。 Bobo可能是隔代遺傳，拿筆的方式跟爸爸以前教的很像，可是握不緊，寫出來的東西都在發抖。

Zozo的握筆方式卻超像姐姐的，這未免太奇怪了吧! 長的像姐姐，愛漂亮像姐姐，怎麼會這個也像姐姐，到底是誰生的女兒呀?!

I am in a BSF class!

i joined bsf for the first time last year. it was such an awesome learning experience, and i couldn't wait to join once we moved to texas. last wednesday, i went to the first intro class to get signed up and found out there are at least 50 women on the waiting list here. we were told that some of us might have to wait a while to be placed into a class. that was a major shock to me. i was disappointed that i might not be able to continue in the 7 year cycle. i kept this is my prayer and hoped for the best.

yesterday, i got a call from a discussion leader that i've been place into her class. i was so excited. it's going to be a lot of work but i just love being spiritually fed through this vigorous training. this year is a study on the book of romans. i hope i will gain as much as i did from the study on genesis!

Zozo的新造型

今天早上太晚準備出門，去教會英文堂會遲到，就改去中文堂。這樣反而多出一小時，那就來玩Zozo的頭髮。
不知道為什麼每次幫Zozo綁不同的髮型，都看起來很俗氣，只有french braid最好看，但是綁久了又會膩。想要做點變化，就把緞帶編進她的braids裡。起先她不知道我在做什麼，綁好了才叫她去照鏡子，結果她好高興，直說cool!
by the way,今天下大雨，氣溫也降到八十幾度，我們都超興奮!

我的生日

真是辛苦的一天!

早上起床後，竟然沒有人wish me a happy birthday。問Zozo要不要給我一個birthday kiss，忙著看卡通的她，叫我自己過去親。我臉上出現三條線，好像看到未來她的teenage years.

中午吃完不怎麼樣的韓國拌飯後，就開始search for我們想要的新傢俱。老公好像很希望在我生日當天買到，所以看到晚上八點多才放棄，真是累死我了!從來沒有逛街逛到想哭，連我想吃的刨冰都沒時間去吃。之後老公還是帶了全家去買我想要的垃圾桶，就是為了讓我生日至少有收到一樣禮物。結果扛回家後，竟然是壞的，還換來他一句，決對不買這牌子的東西了。我又得再去選別種嗎?!

晚上睡覺前，老公說我好可憐! 其實想一想，覺得還是很不錯啦。媽媽和姐姐全家都打電話來，媽媽還送我那麼貴的垃圾桶!我整天都和家人在一起，(還不必煮飯洗碗，)真的很幸福耶!

Country Fair at School

星期五晚上在小朋友的學校有country fair. 傳單帶回家的時候，看起來蠻好玩地，就決定去參加。其實沒什麼，吃了超小的hotdog dinner，玩了一些很陽春的games，最後坐在parking lot上看了shaggy dog，小朋友看到最後都東倒西歪，他們已經太習慣八點就上床睡覺了。

他們在playground的時間比在玩games的時間還長。 不管去哪裡都一定要選tattoo或face painting。黏在臉上的tattoo最難洗掉，可是每次都還是要黏那裡。

參加這種學校的活動的好處就是會認識比較多其他的父母親，就可以開始set up playdates!

終於做完了!

這些小冊子就是我這兩天廢寢忘食地(好啦，沒有忘食)幫Zozo的班級趕出來的。 一年級總共有六班，每一班要有21本小骨頭冊子，每一本冊子加上封面共要5頁。 算一算，我總共要剪630個小骨頭!
我真的剪到快昏倒!到處都是紙屑，加上mimi看到紙就咬，我差點就抓狂了!結果拿去學校才知道我不必通通做完，只要做一部份，其他可以留給別的媽媽做。真是的!

今天要休息

這幾天一直做學校義工的工作，做到我快哭了!今天決定放假，中午要和老公去吃飯，再去逛逛街，也許看一下傢俱。媽媽打電話來說要送我相很久的垃圾桶。yeah! 老公現在就有點煩惱，不知道要送我什麼。哈，擔心什麼，我想要的東西可多的呢!

School Picture Day

今天學校要照相，所以昨天晚上帶Zozo和Bobo去買新衣服。因為要趕在八點bedtime前回家，我們就只去了talbot kids, gap, 和nordstrom。還好在nordstrom，Zozo就找到她喜歡的衣服，Bobo也接受我幫他選的襯衫，(he really has his own mind about clothes!) 加上兩個人都選了新的geox light-up shoes。大家歡歡喜喜地回家。

早上兩個人一叫就起床，還很乖得讓我幫他們梳頭、綁頭髮。希望他們到了學校還能keep the clean look。

每次照相都會裝淑女，其實是超好動地! 兩個人真的曬到黑的發亮! 教他笑自然一點，結果竟然是這樣子。前幾天，額頭又刮傷。問他怎麼弄傷的，完全不知道。 小吉普賽女郎、小Preppy和完全不配的球鞋!
怎麼看還是覺得他們超可愛滴!

運動

天氣熱加上蚊子太多,要去哪裡讓小孩子消耗體力呢?在我們家的話,就是去客廳了.每次他們在家裡打球,我就膽戰心驚,深怕東西被打壞或是窗戶被打破.

到目前為止是還沒發生什麼意外啦!真希望可以趕快找到我們喜歡的桌子,這樣就不能在家裡打球了.對了,還要把鋼琴運來,把客廳塞滿.哈!哈!

有沒有人能告訴我怎麼打中文的標點符號?

We Got a TV

after living with a tiny tv for the last three months, B and i agreed on a tv to buy for our house, just in time for football season. we are pretty limited by the size of our built-in shelf, so it really isn't that big. but it's a heck of a lot clearer and we can watch tv from our sofa. next time nephews S and A come to visit, they won't have to adjust to the lack of technology at our house as much now.
we also rearranged our furniture in the living and family room. it took us a long time to decide what to do since the size and shape of those rooms were really different from our previous house. we''ve had to think hard on what to do with our existing furniture, and i think we've come up with an arrangement that we can live with for awhile now.

we had such a happy weekend, not because we acquired more material things. it's because B and i were able to put our minds together to make our house better for us. it just felt like we've been out of sync for awhile with the stress of living apart for a couple of months, moving out-of-state, and getting used to the new environment. i am happy that this house is starting to feel like a home and that we are starting to put the stress behind us and enjoy each other again.

生日禮物

我的生日快到了! 前幾個禮拜跟姐姐講電話的時候,她就在網路上訂了一個包包給我.我很識相,沒有獅子大開口,沒有要Burberry啦.她送我的是一個手功的大布包,這樣我才能把小朋友需要的東西通通丟進去 我也買了東西送我自己-- 一本planner. 現在Zozo和Bobo活動比較多,加上學校有好多義工的事,不記下來會經常忘東忘西. 馬上就會把Zozo和Bobo的照片放進planner封面裡.最近超愛綠色,所以東西都買綠色的. thanks, jenn!

今天也收到我幫Zozo和Bobo訂的frogpod.他們之前裝玩具的網子一直掉,都用了六年,也夠本了.本來不確定還要不要買這類東西,到底Zozo和Bobo已經不是小小孩了.可是看了蠻多部落媽媽有買,問小孩們喜不喜歡,他們都說喜歡,就決定敗了.(我這個媽媽不能作決定時,都先問小孩,嘻!)為了這個東西我和小孩們跑了三家Target都沒貨,本來很想放棄了,可是Bobo很想要,到最後就只好在Babycenter訂了. 掛在牆上看起來整齊多了.我想把他們的浴室漆綠色,這樣就更好看.

老公有問我想要什麼生日禮物.很不好意思地告訴他,要一個垃圾桶.當然不會是隨便任何一個啦!是想要這個.會不會實現呢?再等七天就知道了! (媽--不要偷笑!)

這篇文章跟上一篇好像有點contraditory,我有說過簡化生活是說到比作到簡單啊!還有打中文真的很難耶!

Simplify Our Life

before we moved to texas, B and i decided to downsize and simplify our life. we bought a smaller house and gave away as much stuff as we can part with. however, once we moved into our new and smaller house, we found out that downsizing and simplifying is easier said than done. i've been trying to declutter and organize our house as much as possible but it's been a slow go. the hardest part has been trying to explain our new lifestyle to the kids. right now, donating and throwing away their extra possessions is the hardest thing for them to do.

in my rush to organize the house, sometimes i forget to relax and enjoy what we have here. even though the house is smaller, it is filled with beautiful features. our kitchen has granite countertops and tile backsplash that i used to dream of. there are crown molding throughout many parts of the house. my favorite part of the house is the stacked fire place mantel in our family room. the decoration we had in our old house fits perfectly on the mantel, too.

sometimes, i think i need something else to make the mantel look better. most of the time, though, i like it just the way it is.

i need to sit down at times to count the abundant blessings God has showered upon us instead of focusing on the negative aspects. sometimes, with an attitude adjustment, those negative aspects can actually be positive!

Long Weekend

we had signed up to go to the church retreat over labor day weekend a few weeks ago. right before the retreat, i had the urge to back out coz there just seemed to be so much to do at our house. and i had a nightmare that we didn't finish Z girl's star student poster before it was due. since we registered and paid for the weekend already, it was best that we attend. it wasn't one of the best retreats i've been to, but it was just what i needed. the time away from our "messy" house is just enough for me to get perspective on the never-ending organizational nightmare at our house. (okay, i know some people think it's organized enough but it's not good enough for the anal me!) the topic for the retreat was "an unhurried life" which is something i needed to hear. so now here i am, feeling more optimistic about everything and a slightly cleaner and organized house from today's effort! we were going to leave early from the retreat but 2Z had so much fun at the children's program that they didn't want to leave before their performance. Z girl is so used to singing on stage at our old church that she jumped at the chance to be able to do it again. when B was taking the picture of Z girl, i wondered why she was standing like that until i looked down and saw that i was standing exactly the same way!

after we got home from the retreat, Z girl and i tackled her poster while B took Z boy to the movies. we spent an hour and a half designing and working on the poster. it was so fun to work on it together. i think Z girl is ready for scrapbooking now!

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

the kids have gone back to school for 3 weeks now, so i've been rising early with them everyday to get them ready for school. as i was stumbling up the stairs today to get them up, i realized something--it's usually still bright out when 2Z go to bed and still dark out when they have to get up! that just doesn't feel right.

Got Milk?!

2Z were breastfed until they each reached 3 years. after they turned one, i started giving them cow's milk, too, because they were just too small. they didn't like the taste of it at all. at our pediatrician's suggestion, i started giving them flavored milk. they developed the taste for strawberry and chocolate milk. i switched to organic milk after reading so much about the effects of antibiotics and hormones in the milk on children. the two of them were drinking so much milk by then that i was worried they would hit puberty by 3rd grade. i don't know what it is about organic milk that appeals to them so much but they drink gallons of that stuff a week. (B and i both became lactose intolerant after college so we can't try it.) at first, i started out with oberweis milk but the glass jars were just so heavy to lug back and forth, (although they did look pretty all lined up in my fridge.) so i switched to horizon even though they are pretty costly. then i discovered a more affordable organic milk at costco, and they've been chugging that stuff down. i also started getting the horizon chocolate milk boxes for outings and school lunches. at the rate they are going through the organic milk, we might go bankrupt soon! sometimes, i go to costco just to get milk! Z girl would really like the strawberry flavor but alas, costco only carries chocolate. so once in awhile, i indulge her with one when we go to starbucks. p.s. you'd think they would be bigger for the amount of milk they drink, right? at least, they are very healthy kids. that's something i am thankful for.

Z Girl Made It!

2Z have been taking gymnastics lessons for four years now. they started at the little gym and moved up to real gymnastic lessons about two years ago. one summer while we were vacationing in lake tahoe, Z girl saw the 2004 olympics on tv and set her heart on going to the olympics for gymnastics ever since. when we decided to move to texas, one of the first things that popped into my head was that many of the olympic coaches were from texas. maybe Z girl actually has a chance of realizing her dream! at a friend's recommendation, i signed 2Z up for some classes at a gym located in the city we live in. the moment we walked into the gym, we came face to face with a life-size poster of carly patterson, the 2004 olympic all around gold medalist. as it turned out, this gym was where she trained. i was so excited until Z girl attended her first class. her skills lagged way behind even though she already had four years of lessons. however, in the two and a half months since joining this gym, Z girl worked extremely hard to improve. i was so moved by her level of concentration during the classes. i've never seen her take anything so seriously.

Z boy, on the other hand, has always taken gym for fun. also, it was definitely betterto play inside than waiting outside for Z girl to finish. even though he was pretty good at listening to his coaches, he goofed off just as much. as long as he was getting his exercise and enjoying himself, i didn't have a problem with it at all.

this gym, apparently, holds yearly evaluations for all their students. the boys' evaluations took place early in august while the girls' evals are going on this week. imagine B and my surprise when we got a call from Z boy's coach after the eval that he has been recommended to join a team in preparations for competition. the first thing we thought of was," what about Z girl?" the first thing Z girl said, when she heard Z boy was promoted, was, "what about me, mommy?" (you have to imagine the look of hope accompanied by her sweet, girly voice at this point.) i was almost speechless. being the ever resourceful mom, i immediately remembered that her eval was not for another few weeks.

so today, after almost forgetting about evals already, it happened. when we walked into the gym, i saw the coaches all had clipboards in their hands. i didn't tell Z girl right away since i wasn't sure if she'd be nervous or not. anyway, to make an already long story shorter, she got promoted! she ran out of her class shouting, "mommy, i passed. i am moving up." she's actually not on a competitive team yet-- she moved up to the advanced class. but she's so happy with her progress that we are ecstatic for her.

sorry, no pics to post since it's so hard to capture constantly moving kids from the waiting area. plus at any given time, i think there are 100 kids training in the gym. sometimes, i can't even find 2Z in that huge gym!

Chinese School

2Z started chinese school this past sunday. it was an eye opening experience for me since this school is about 4 times as big as the one they attended back in st. louis. we were late for classes because there was traffic jam driving up to the school, and i couldn't find their names on the class rosters since there were 3 or 4 classes in each of their grades! i'm also not used to seeing their chinese names in print!

every semester, i go through an internal struggle right before chinese school starts. i recognize the value of having them learn the language at a tender age. it will be so useful later on in life, especially if they get hooked on watching asian tv shows. Z girl is already enjoying the benefits of speaking chinese since she could converse with one of her classmates in elementary school in this "secret" language. except i don't know how that works since she's not very good and the other girl is fluent.

however, i also like 2Z to enjoy their childhood without more work. (after last sunday's class, i realized how much more work there will be.) they are always tired at chinese school because we spend sunday mornings at church, and they have to be dragged away from their friends in the middle of playtime. i wonder how long they will be willing to go to chinese school. i guess i will just have to see how they do from year to year.

chugging away at the written exercises. Z boy has to memorize a poem for next week. it's so cute when he recites it for us with his american accent!

Breakfast

2Z are very picky eaters. they hardly ever enjoy any kind of food that i put on the table. breakfast is especially difficult. there were actually days back in st. louis when Z boy went to preschool without breakfast because he'd rather eat the snacks his teachers gave him.

last saturday morning, i simply made breakfast that i wanted to eat. it turned out 2Z loved it. they actually asked me to prepare the same thing again this morning and ate without any complaints. that is definitely progress!
who knew buttered toast with some fruits were all they wanted. now if there were thick slices of white bread like back in taiwan, it would have been even tastier. however, as some of you know, there seems to be an unwritten rule in our house--whole wheat bread only. sigh!

Rudeness

today i went to have lunch with z girl at school. afterwards, the kids were lining up to return to the class. a boy cut in front of z girl's friend. i told him not to do that. he started giving me attitude and lied to the teacher that z girl's friend cut in line. i maintained my composure because i can't stoop to his level in front of my girl! in my head though, i was smacking him upside the head and asking him whether being rude is part of his nature or did he have to try hard at it.

then while i was waiting in the carpool lane to pick up 2Z, another van cut right in front of me. what the heck is his problem? you come later, you pick up your child later!

now i need a dip in the pool to cool down from these rude people!

Look Who Came to Visit

art came for a visit last night while on his business trip. we had dinner together at ay-chung then headed home to catch up. it was so nice to see an old friend from st. louis. even though we are making new friends here, we still miss our old friends a lot. the rest of you, when are you coming for a visit?

Pain, Pain Go Away

yesterday, i was accidentally kicked in the jaw. it was somewhat painful but i thought it would go away in a little bit. when we all sat down for dinner, then i realized how bad the injury was. i couldn't chew at all! after taking some ibuprofen and sleeping with an ice bag, i felt much better until i tried eating breakfast this morning! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!! anyway, it's back to the ibuprofen and now, strawberry smoothie for awhile. the only good thing from this is i had a good night sleep cause it was so cool with the icebag! (even at night, the low is still at about 85 degrees!)

My Girl is 7

i remember when 2Z were little, people would stop me in the stores to tell me that i should treausure the moments while they were young because they grow up way to faster. there were times i was annoyed with the comments because i was exhausted with caring for two little ones so close in age. i wanted them to grow up just a little faster. now, i can't believe my little girl, my firstborn has turned 7. it seemed just like yesterday, i was cuddling her in my arms and taking pictures of every little movement that a 2 week old could make. now she's losing her 6th tooth!

her birthday celebrations started in may of this year. we threw her a birthday party before we moved so she could celebrate with her closest friends. then a few days ago, new friends we made in texas invited us over for dinner and presented her with a homemade birthday cake.

on the big day, we brought cupcakes to school to share with her new classmates. after school, all of us went swimming, one of her favorite activities. for her birthday dinner, she picked king's noodle in richardson. it was a great choice since noodles signify longevity!
we used to get a small cake for 2Z's birthdays but this year, we thwarted tradition and got shaved ice instead. it was around 107 degrees outside, so the ice felt great going down.

i gave her two wonderfully handmade aprons by shim+sons for her birthday, and B gave her a kids' dictionary since she's very much into words now. she also received a hermit crab from a good friend here in texas.

all in all, i think girl Z had a great time celebrating her birthday this year. i tried taking some pics of her for the scrapbook but she couldn't stop being silly. she used to love posing for pics, and believe me, i took a lot of pictures. why does it go away as they get older???

First Day of School

school starts early here in texas. we've only had two months of summer vacation this year. but since we are new to the area, the kids are looking forward to school so they can meet more kids. i am looking forward to some alone time so i can really tackle the mess in this house. i believe there are still some boxes around somewhere that i haven't unpacked yet!

our days have to start at around 6:30 in the morning now since the school day starts about an hour and a half earlier than what we are used to. it was so hard to get up on the first day.

girl Z is in first grade, and boy Z is in kindergarten. both are in school full day and it's not an option. that gives me nearly 7 hours in the day without them! we'll see how i do after a few days. actually, as i am typing here, i am starting to miss them a little. the house is extremely quiet!

Summer Fun

so grandma brought nephew S & A from california for three weeks. what do four active kids do in the hundred degree heat? they drink lots of liquid. and since the water here taste kinda funny during the summer, we had to rely on bottled water. this is the damage they did in less than a week. good thing our family is heavily into recycling!we spent a lot of time in the community pool and saw quite a few movies at the theater and at home. i also took them to a video arcade to play laser tag. all of us went to the circus last friday evening. the kids had a pretty good time and want to go back again!

on sunday, we went to the museums in fair park in dallas. the science place was having a special event--reptile weekend! we got to see a snake show that was hilarious and scary at the same time. they even got to touch some live snakes. ugh! boy Z got his fill of dinosaurs at the museum of natural history. he was also excited to see some scary looking turtles at the aquarium.

nephew A and girl Z milked a (fake) cow at the little urban farm in the science place. we nearly laughed our heads off when nephew S accidentally pulled off one of the teats when he gave it a try.
nephew A, S and girl Z ran through the giant spider web in the science place a few times. it was made of bungee cords. we had a hard time getting them to leave.after the trek through the museums, we walked sluggishly through fair park in the hundred degree heat to the car. we were all craving for some shaved ice by that time, so we headed over to a noodle place for late lunch/dinner in richardson. while we were eating, a thunderstorm rolled through and the temperature dropped about 25 degrees. too bad the rain didn't actually make it to our house where the lawn is in dire need of some water!

For lunch

yesterday, nephew S and i tried an easy recipe we saw on katie brown's show, chicken pot pie. it turned out pretty well. everyone who had it thought it was good except for my two little picky eaters. one only wanted the crust while the other only wanted the filling. oh well, at least they've stopped making faces at everything i cook now. guess that's progress. then for dessert, we had oatmeal raisin cookies. actually, we only had two because they were slightly burned so i had to toss most of them.

in the afternoon, after girl Z and boy Z had their gymnstics lesson, we stopped by marble creamery and starbucks for our afternoon snack. while mom and i drank our blackberry green tea frappacino, the kids played candy land together. it's surprising that nephew A still enjoyed the game even though he's already 10 years old! i think he just likes to play with 2Z.

Last night,

after dinner, B, 2Z and nephew A went rollerblading in front of our house. the kids were learning how to rollerblade so B was teaching all three of them. they seem like they had a lot of fun even though sweat was pouring down their faces. it was nephew A's first time on the rollerblades he bought himself! by this morning, he was pretty smooth on those wheels! i think by the time he goes home, he should be ready to go out rollerblading with his friends!