Bed Made, Clean Sink, Clear Desk.

That's all I really need to feel like my home is clean.  There could be dust floating around, hair covering the floor, but so long as the bed is made.. the sink is cleared and my desk is clutter free... I feel like things are okay.  Of course, the bathroom toilet, heaps of post-maternity shedding hair contrasted against the white tiles, kitchen floor crumbs, mountains of clothes both dirty and clean yet to be folded and put away and of course.. toys, toys, toys, would beg to differ.  But really... all I really need to be slightly deceived is a bed made, clean sink and clear desk.  Unfortunately, the only thing I tend to have is a made bed (5 out of 7 days).

But right now... in the probably 15 minutes I have left before Andy gets back from his weekly softball game, both boys are asleep in their shared room, the sink is clean and I feel good about the potential of a clutter free desk.  Of course, today is the one day the bed never got made since Bubba fell asleep on it and then I loaded clean and folded clothes on it, in hopes of it encouraging us to put it all away before we go to bed tonight.  Sometimes, we both just keep the clothes at the foot of the bed and go to sleep.  Yes, we are that lazy.  Other times, they fall to the floor and become unfolded.

Isn't it funny the little things that make our home feel comfortable and us feel relaxed?  I love nothing more than to sit in my immaculate living room to watch a show while on the computer or read a book with music playing in the background, but I cannot get there unless the living room is tidied up, otherwise, I will start to clean it instead.  I also don't mind taking the time to put things away at night just so it can get taken out again in the morning just for the pure joy of the few minutes it is clean in the morning when I awaken.  I've noticed that my son has slowly become conditioned - not necessarily to appreciate the cleanliness, but to understand that when Mom says it's time to clean up, it's business.  He will help, albeit a few pieces instead of the whole shebang. I am a huge fan of this habit we are building together.  I also don't like him taking out a million toys to play at one time.  He's pretty good about cleaning up before taking another item out so long as I'm supervising and request it of him.  What choice does he really have right?

Be Careful What You Wish For

Dear Future lazy Daisy,

This is how it went down.

I didn't feel like moving.  But I needed to get to the room to get ready for bed.  It was so comfortable on the couch with the blankets on me.

"Can you carry me to the room?" I asked Andy.  No reply.  "Please?"

He came over, bent down with his back horrifically straight, as if about to pick up some heavy piece of furniture, pressed his lips together, and focused intently to pick me up.  I put my arms around his neck, imagining how romantic it would be to be swept away by my husband.  As if it were our first time entering our new home.  He didn't seem able to converse while carrying me.  He stumbled a bit and tried his best to quickly transport me.  "Am I that heavy?" I asked him.  "Well, you certainly aren't light," he responded.  "Owwww!" I yelped.  My elbow had just slammed into something on the side of the wall.  As I hung on for dear life and my elbow throbbed, I felt like I was slowly sinking so I screamed.. "Okay, enough, enough...put me down! no more!" in between laughing at how utterly ridiculous the whole situation was.  Needless to say, he ignored me.

Be careful what you ask for.

Signed,
My throbbing elbow

California Recap: Cha-Cha-Chicken Before the Big Party

We woke up on Saturday morning and ventured off for some donuts.  Unable to find where the infamous cronuts were in LA, we just googled the best donut place in our vicinity and made our way.  Then after a lot of 99 cent store, Costco and Albertsons shopping to prep for the big surprise party, we went back for some grub.  Given the option of where to get takeout, we of course said Cha-Cha-Chicken please!

Cha-Cha-Chicken is probably Andy's favorite place to eat in LA.  It's a little place with a lot of character right on Ocean where it turns into Nielson Way and Pico.  Parking is pretty awful and it gets busy at night since it's BYOB (bring your own booze), but takeout on Saturday afternoon seemed to work just fine for us.

 the line-up... some jerk chicken, some coconut chicken, some plantains, some beans with rice... and jerk sauce!

 mmmmmm.....

 Grace and Ray 

 my dad and mom

Andy, Jordan, and me (Bubba was sleeping)

California Recap: Disneyland

We departed Salt Lake City last Thursday and flew as a family of four (for the first time) into Long Beach.  The beach house in Marina Del Rey where we stayed (for most of the week) was great.  My only complaint was the crappy internet and the fact that the largeness seemed to go upwards more than outwards.  I suppose that's how most beach properties are.

We woke up around 8 AM on Friday morning and made our way to Disneyland.  Disneyland is fabulous with kids.  It's not only fun for us, but so much fun to see how excited Jordan is about everything.  I LOVE it!  If we still lived in So Cal, I would definitely get an annual pass now that Jordan is so aware and into it.  Makes it so worthwhile to make the trip out!

Apparently the only photo I took of the place besides the rooftop.

More Disneyland photos!

So in order to get the most out of this ride, you should really go alone or with a child so you can actually move really easily and quickly.  Way more fun with just Jordan and me versus last time when the four of us (Bubba in my tummy) went together. 

Jordan's favorite rides: Dumbo, the rockets in Tomorrowland, and the slides in the Up Wilderness Park in California Adventure.  The weather was perfect, the lines were short... we are never again going to Disneyland during a Spring Break (the mistake we made last March). 

Back to La-La-Land

We've been in LA since Thursday night... Andy went back Sunday but Jordan, Bubba and I are still hanging out with my family going from westside to San Gabriel Valley and back.  It's been a blast and it's not even over yet.  Just a snippet of our time here so far.

Disneyland on Friday with the family and Bubba's first time!

We originally planned our trip to LA so we could attend my friend's wedding.  Unfortunately, it was a "NO KIDS" wedding and our 5 month old isn't quite taking the bottle as of late.  So... we swapped my dad's Surprise 60th birthday bash to Saturday and went to Disneyland on Friday.  So Saturday was a busy day getting ready and a huge party.

On Sunday, we saw old friends at our old Church in South Pasadena, had lunch with the family, and went to the Temple.  Andy very blatantly kept asking Jordan if he could find Mommy on the board of photos on display.  Good one Andy.  After dropping Andy off at the airport, we secretly hoped his flight would get cancelled and he could stay another day.  It didn't happen so we headed back to the beach where Uncle Ray and his friends were grilling on the rooftop.

I put the boys to sleep and then fifth wheeled with my brother and his friends (two couples).  We then played Puerto Rico!  As the most experienced Puerto Rico player, I was quite disappointed to come in not just last.. but WAY behind.   Bah.  

Woke up early Monday morning and admired the rooftop views all around and the nice weather.

I like to try hoity toity places I've never been to when in LA and when my parents are footing the bill so off to Abbot Kinney we went.  Lemonade... soooo totally LA it makes me laugh as I stepped inside.  It's fun for the salads and lemonade (the sandwiches aren't that great, the meat is something we can easily reproduce, but the salads would be more effort).  Of course, my brother kept pointing out how much cheaper we could make the same salads at home but I kept pointing out to him it would be a lot of effort not necessary.

Behind a big grass wall with Jordan, my brother and his girlfriend.

We headed over to the Promenade and walked around Santa Monica Place for a bit.  Used the fancy bathrooms at Bloomingdale's and then made a trip to the Disney Store for Jordan to peruse the stuff (but no more toys, he already got a ton upon arriving in LA).  We got tired and stopped over at the Pinkberry while Jordan made Uncle Ray run with him up and down the promenade.  And then it was time to head back to meet up with Grace!

My BFF Grace was also in town from the wedding we were unable to go to.  She was taking some vacation so she joined us in Marina Del Rey.  Jordan had a blast making sand castles with Auntie Grace while I tried to keep Bubba above the sand.  We were there until the sun came down and then we made our way back for dinner.  I finally got the boys down to bed a few hours later and scared Grace.  She almost immediately began making plans for vacation with her husband because she has witnessed firsthand how hard it will be with kids.  Hahaha. 

We stayed up until about 1 AM watching a cable version of Bridesmaids.  Highly overrated and still slightly uncomfortable even with the cable version.  I questioned Grace about why it was so funny.  She had raved about it to me years ago when it first came out.   I told her, "It's not funny Grace.  "I know, it really seemed funnier when I saw it a few years ago."  And then Grace concluded, "Maybe we are just past that raunchy immature 20's humor now."  hahaha.  We're so old.  We both fell asleep while watching an episode of Friends afterwards, and as we got up to get ready for bed... we found ourselves chatting until 3:30 AM.  Haha.  Guess we still got it!

The next morning, Grace and I walked to the nearby Starbucks and just continued to hang out.  Just two grown up adult Asian women, out during a weekday, as if not a care in the world.  It was absolutely fabulous to be just chilling near the beach.  After Grace left, we cleaned up the beach house a bit and got ready to head back to Arcasia.  Almost two hours later and a disgusting reminder of how awful LA traffic is... (it was 30 miles maybe...) we were back at my parent's.  Jordan was so esctatic when he saw the playground equipment in my mom's huge yard.  "Park!" he said.  "Go park!!!" he yelled over and over again.  He then spent the rest of the afternoon playing in puo puo's backyard (the first time he could use all of the play equipment on his own) and left with a souvenir of black feet and hands.  He also played soccer with Uncle Ray, ran around on the new flat grass my parents got, and chased after Fatty.  Bubba and I chilled in the shade while I worked.  The only bad thing about that beach house.. the internet was sucky.  I was so happy to have solid internet and be able to work for a few hours while Bubba lay next to me, enjoying the nice cool weather in the shade.

Then we had sushi for dinner in Old Town Monrovia and walked on over to Pinkberry (again... hahaha)

And today... Jordan woke up saying "we done sleeping Mommy!"  and then asked to "go outside to park?"  He's played in the playground in the backyard, made his way to the park two houses down (my parents live in a sweet spot), and had a traditional sao bin you tiao with soy milk Chinese breakfast.  I finished my call, am feeding Bubba, and then we will head to the Santa Anita Fashion Park aka mall nearby.  WOOO!!  It's been a blast so far but we sure miss Andy!!!