Whimsical Wake Ups

Why do kids decide to wake up at 5 AM out of nowhere?  Since we've been back from vacation, Jordan's nap and sleeping schedule have been so fantabulous that I almost forgot what it's like to be startled by a 5 AM wake up.

This morning as I attempted to sleep while Jordan tried to wake me up to play, I realized... whimsical wake up times will only worsen and become less predictable with two children!  Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

What have I gotten myself into?!?!??!?!?!?!  In other news, I made a golf print for the boys' room since it's inevitable that Andy will be going with a golf theme complete with argyle bedding, a putting green, a Master's board with our sons' names, a tufted Titleist golfheadboard, and who knows what else?!?!  So i made some prints but Andy only semi-approved of these two.  Guess since it's his vision, I should have asked him for examples before I set forth making any.  Plus the silhouette of Jordan makes him look like a little stout man.  HA!  Oh well, live and learn.

Visiting LA Via My iPhone

 I was scared of a full flight so I sat next to a mom with a kid who had his own seat.  It worked out perfectly as Jordan initially thought this boy was Finn (the blonde curly hair).  The two shared a seat, watched shows on my iPad, and Jordan felt completely comfortable looking out the window with our new friend (I forgot her name already).  They were on their way to California to visit Disneyland so we chatted a lot about everything she must do, it was going to be both of their first times ever there!

Jordan's shoes were getting tight, so we headed to the mall with wai-puo and wai-gong to play on the carousel and get some shoes!

Joran LOVED the carousel, just like he did last time we visited.  

Wooooo!!!

We picked out some sweet kicks at Nordstrom Kid Shoes, but Jordan liked the balloon better.  These look very bright but the color is purposely faded and the shoes look like he's been wearing 'em for years now (after two weeks only).

 

That's my balloon (my first one)...  as we went back again later for the carousel when Andy got into town and of course, left with a Nordy balloon once more.  

 What's a visit to LA without a BlueSky meeting?  I love my job and the team and it was great to see everyone.  Currently, we have employees from MB, SD, Hawaii, Washington, Utah, and soon Michigan.  We had our quarterly meeting at Shade Hotel (as always) in beautiful sunny Manhattan Beach and ended early which was great as I missed the afternoon traffic rush driving back to the 626.  

 Another trip to the mall, this time for CPK with Uncle Ray and his girlfriend, Grace too!  This is Jordan pointing to the carousel which he got to go on again.  

And I was craving Thrifty ice cream, so we made our way over after dinner at CPK.  Yay for Thrifty ice cream!  

Jordan in his new shoes and a onesie.  The best ever.  

 We headed to the Griffith park trains the next day (no photos) and then to Americana since my computer broke.  Thank goodness for the Genius Bar and Apple Care.  Jordan enjoyed the kid station with wai-puo and had a huge poop while in the Apple Store too.  What better place to poop?!

Enjoying the sun and water fountain.  He will LOVE the Bellagio water show if we ever go one day...

So beautiful - he just stood there, admiring it.  

Of course he had to wear sunglasses and I forgot his, so he just wore mine. 

 We left Americana, headed to Panera (mmmm) and of course, Porto's for a ton of cheese rolls and a big ol' fruit tart.  So get this, the fruit tarts now have a layer of cake in them!  It's not as good as before in my humble opinion.  Just saying...
Jordan didn't have enough shorts for the sunny weather in Arizona (our next trip to be posted later), so we headed to TJMaxx to find some clothes.  Fail.  But we did enjoy sitting on the bench together before we left.

That night, I headed to my old stomping grounds to meet up with Julia who is working nasty busy season tax hours.  Ugh.  Parking in the valet section, thank you very much. 

The Firm is moving offices soon, but they're still currently in this building, the same as the company Julia works for.. but look, remodeling everywhere!  I barely recognized it!

 Bomb diggity. I headed to LAX after our visit to pick up Andy, but his flight was delayed so I ended up at the nearby In-N-Out, where I got Andy a Neapolitan shake and some fries, and then parked on Sepulveda where apparently a ton of town cars park until it's time to go to the airport.  I found the money spot!  When Andy landed, I drove to the airport, not realizing how close it was, but luckily it was so late at night, no patrol officers were nearby so I literally parked the car along with a bunch of other cars, and just waited for Andy to show up.  It was spectacular.  He asked me why I didn't get him a burger too.  It was midnight.. I didn't know he'd want a burger too!  

Andy left bright and early Saturday morning for a golf fitting with his golf enthusiast buddy Ryan, and I left Jordan with the grandparents for a workout.  When we got back, he was enjoying my parents' backyard, running around, and looking for Uncle Ray.  So we went to his house (he lives in the back house of my parents' place) and he enjoyed Uncle Ray's on demand which has Little Einsteins.  

 

 Then wai-gong fed him some mac'n'cheese while Mom went to Sinbala to grab lunch on a triple date.  

  We had a really great lunch with our friends, Becky and Lucy, and their husbands!  On the way there, I had an epiphany that we belong to the asian wives who married hapas club.  I thought it was pretty hilarious, as did they.  Among the six of us, we represented Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, and all sorts of white.  We joked that our kids will basically look alike as they are all mixtures of a half Asian/white dad and a full Asian mom.  It was great to have lunch, catch up, and have an adult group date.  We've had dates with just Andy and me and no Jordan, but those somehow turn into conversations about Jordan, so this was refreshing and fun.

We had AYCE Korean BBQ with the family that night and then headed to Carmela, an ice cream spot Andy and I had on our list to try ever since we lived in LA two years ago, but never got around to!  We saw them at the South Pasadena Farmer's Market but always said we would wait to visit the ice cream shop, which I had envisioned being cute and sit down.  I twas cute - no doubt, but it was not a sit down place!  It was just a storefront with a large kitchen and a little bench outside - but oh my goodness, everyone who had raved about it were entirely spot on.  It was absolutely delicious!!!  I've never had such good ice cream, I definitely think it tops Milk or any other specialty ice cream shop we've been to (including Jeni's Splendid ice cream shop in Ohio).  If you haven't tried it, it's a must!!  I am already craving it again.  

Jordan enjoyed it too!

He heard a plane and pointed at it, but really it looks like he's flashing me a "loser" sign.  Enjoying the bench with Uncle Ray and Grace. 

Yummmm!!!

We visited with the Mizukawas at night and then the Oldroyds on Sunday after Church.  I didn't take any photos then, but it was so great seeing them!  

Monday morning, we headed to Disneyland bright and early - knowing very well that it was a Spring Break day and would probably be dreadfully crowded.

We hit all the "cool" rides first and made our way to Carsland for all the rides Jordan could go on.

Jordan didn't understand the concept of long lines but after a few times, he seemed to get it and became a lot more cheerful whilst in line, knowing the rewards of the aftermath. 

Is this what I normally look like?  Because I'm blaming it on the pregnancy for now.  

Checking out Toontown

 

so tired... ready for my nap Dad....It was a fun day, despite the lines, and Jordan enjoyed it thoroughly.    I didn't take many other photos because we were too busy  enjoying it all.  

  The next day, we had dim sum in the morning with my mom and brother and then headed towards the airport.  At this point, Jordan's nap schedule had been quite off so he continued to resist for fear of missing out and eventually fell asleep with his marker in hand on the car ride to LAX.

I really wanted some Pinkberry but the dang overpriced airport prices really ticked me off.  Perturbed, I was pleased with the McDonald's cones which were still comprable with non-airport cones.  So we both got one and enjoyed our cones before take-off. 

And with that, we headed to Arizona for a week of awesomeness with our friends.  To be posted later....

Tantrum Central.... We Have Arrived

Tantrums are so unbelievably tough.  Every parent (maybe just me) justifies it immediately with he must be tired or he must be hungry but not one person I know well... enter, my husband.  Nope, never will you hear him say that.  Or at least not often.  He might have said it once or twice on vacation.. but it really is rare of him.  Instead, he seems to focus on what we should do.. and calmly reassures me that we just have to explain things to Jordan and help him understand.

How I wish I had that patience and clarity whilst dealing with a screaming, kicking, and very violent almost 2 year old who doesn't seem to understand anything I say except that his "no" response will tick me off more.  I try so desperately to stay calm but I hear the volume in my voice rising, peripherally see the smoke coming out of my ears and feel the intense redness rise in my cheeks, and I really just want to give my boy a good old fashioned spanking.  What ever happened to those?!  Where's my belt when I need it!!!

I hold back.  I resist the inherent urge to slap him silly.  I explain to him why he is in trouble.  He laughs.  OUTLOUD at me.  AGAIN and AGAIN.  He NEVER laughs when Andy is talking sternly to him or telling him what he's done wrong.  He thinks I'm funny.  He tries to hit my face.  He tries to bite me.  He is only making me madder and madder.  And the madder I get, the funnier he thinks it is.  He is squealing with laughter now.  How terrifically hilarious is this Mother dearest?!

I think to retrieve the bumbo, thinking it will help me by somehow holding him down while he's in "time-out."  With one arm strapped around his stomach, his face facing outwards, his legs kicking like crazy and his head repeatedly banging back as I lunge back to avoid getting whacked by his surprisingly strong and sturdy little head, I use my left hand to grab the bumbo that is high above the shelves in the tiny awkwardly angled closet (good thing I'm tall) in his room.  It comes down easily but because it is so stinking large, on the way out of the narrow closet door opening (made narrow by all the toys we have on the floor surrounding the door), I accidentally knock over the space heater which I try to catch and somehow lunge towards the wall with the bumbo, my clumsy and rearranged pregnant weight self of a fool unable to control the shift of weight, knocks down a frame on the wall and almost trip over the box of toys next to my feet.  It's a good thing I'm always making Jordan pick up his toys, because the room is neat though full, and I am still tripping over stuff!  I somehow catch myself and make it out the room with Jordan still screaming (though he stopped for a second to say "uh-oh" when the frame fell) and crying real tears of absolute horror and sadness as he continues to arch his back and kick his legs in an attempt to free himself.  No such luck dude.  

I want to hug him and comfort him against this witch of a mother trying to punish him for something he probably didn't mean to do.  Except he's done it OVER and OVER again and we've told him NOT to, or to STOP, words we KNOW he understands because he always hesitates and for that inkling of a hesitation, you know he is thinking.. pondering if he should test the limits, just see what we'll do.  And when he does something wrong with Andy around, he won't look him in the eye, as if mortified by his own inexcusable actions.  He looks away and then peeks at Andy to see if he's looking, and Andy always demands that he "look!" at him, which makes Jordan whimper or cry.  On the other hand, he knows Mommy is a sucker for him.  He knows Mommy will always come into his room at night.  When Daddy comes though... he knows it's over.  It's time to wave his white flag of defeat and go to sleep.  Oh if only Mommy would come instead of Daddy.  Except Daddy's not home now and he knows it.  So he'll do whatever he can do keep Mommy aggravated or appeal to her softer side so she'll cave.

I put him in the bumbo and he says owee.  I'm unsure if he's really hurt or just saying that so I'll kiss him instead.  I ask him where he has an owee and like clockwork, I kiss where he's pointed to on his leg, and he smiles a bit, but his eyes are still glimmering with the tears welled up.  What do I do?!  How do I be a good parent who teaches him responsibility and follows through when his cute lil face is looking back at me with such sadness?!  How much I just want to HUG him instead of DISCIPLINING him.  Ugh.  UGHHHHH!!!

I make him sit down even as he's arching his back and trying to escape the Bumbo.  "Jordan!  Do you know why you're in time-out?" I ask.  "Yea," he replies.  "We do NOT bite people and we do NOT hit people, do you understand?"  "Yea," he replies again.  "Will you do it again?" I ask.  "Yea," he says again.  Does he even get it or is he just saying yea until I ask for a kiss and a hug and excuse him?  Change of plan.  Let's go with good "yea" questions then.  "Jordan, we do NOT hit or bite, okay?"  "Yea," he says again.  "Do you promise Jordan?"  "Yea."  Ugh.  If only I could bite him to show him how much it hurts or slap his face as he does to me so much lately, but that would just show him that Mommy does it so he should too.  Oh the confusion.  The frustration.  The difficulty of being a parent.

And I only have one. ...!  Yes I KNOW!!  Don't warn me about how much harder it will be with two.  I'm not an idiot.  I get it.  It'll be harder.  Tougher.  You'll care less.  You'll let your kids run around with snot on their noses and the limited TV time will become archaic.  Well.. I beg to differ and when I don't, then we can all laugh and say remember when you thought?.....

But this tantrum thing does suck.  He finally calms down.  I ask for a hug and a kiss and then, just like that, we're good.  No more tantrums for the rest of the day.  Just one big one today.  I'll take it over two or more, but I'd really prefer none.  We are all happy.. until he's playing independently in the living room and in the moment of silent tranquility, I calmly notice blood on my foot.  I came out with the owee.  I must have tripped on something because there's a cut and a lot of blood on one of my toes.  I hate blood.  I am so scared of the day when I have to clean up blood off of my sons who are being boys.  It doesn't hurt though, not yet at least.  I go to clean it up with water only (I'm too scared to put an antibacterial whatever to really clean it...) and then I put on some pain numbing Neosporin (a special kind I bought to help myself), and decide I'll wear flip flops and not go to any parks with sand - just wood chips - for today.  "You ready to go out Jordan?"  "Yea," he tells me.  So maybe our communication skills aren't that great yet.  Maybe we just know "yea" gets us everything and "no" means no more of something.  Oh well, we'll work on it.

We get downstairs together (it's harder and harder as I'm still holding him, my stomach is getting larger and why did we want to live on the third floor again?  oh yea, cuz of the vaulted ceilings.. overrated).  The pain in my foot starts to set in.  Ouch.  Motherhood can be so painful sometimes.  I strap Jordan into his seat, make my way around to mine, buckle my seatbelt, adjust the mirrors, shift us into reverse, and turn on some music.  I look back at Jordan who is just smiling ear to ear and he says, "Mommy?" and I reply, "yes baby?" and he just smiles and knocks his head back against the carseat as if to say, "I am so happy you're with me today."

I'm happy too Jordan.  I'm happy too.

No pain.. no gain.  No tantrums?... no way.

 regressing to a baby because his buddy Eliot had a pacifier during vacation and he wanted one too!

 we got the free golf club from Georgia in the mail... first official sponsor?....

 opening it up...

 this is nice Mom!

 this is how motherhood feels sometimes... a weird daze of huh? what next?!

 my big 23 month old

 our morning routine now: 1 hour of work while Jordan watches Einsteins and Mater's Tall Tales

 how much longer can I put him in a onesie and pretend he's still a baby? ....

as long as you want Mom.  as long as you want.