Jordan the Basketball Player

Jordan was having a cow about wearing a dress shirt and slacks to church and I told him for most professions, he may have to wear this everyday in the future. He said he was going to be a pilot, so I told him he'd have to wear slacks and probably a nice uniform. This didn't sit well with him, at night, he told Andy he was planning to be a basketball player when he grew up. Basketball shorts for the win.

And I am that mom who has not yet packed away the basketball shorts. In 20 degree weather, my son most often comes out dressed in basketball shorts, a long sleeve t-shirt, and soccer socks rolled all the way up.

You can't prevent the heart from wanting what it wants. ....

Meanwhile, Dags is over here licking the couch, discovering that her tongue is a conduit of glorious discoveries.

Bubba is loving his new rainboots that he can put on himself, and requests a tie for every single Sunday. Seems our tie collection needs to grow so he can actually pair his ties to his shirts accordingly.

Kids, they are just so funny.

One of the Boys

Dagny is becoming such a big girl in mind and spirit.  At 14 months, she's still small for her size, still not quite walking (can do 4-5 steps but prefers just crawling and is quite speedy), and is spoiled by her big brothers who hate hearing her cry.  Alas, she thinks she's one of the boys.  She just got a cute little Hello Kitty thermos just like her big bros and she always wants it, especially if she sees them with theirs.  I often wonder what it must be like to be a little girl with two older brothers.  I was the oldest of two, my little brother was 6 years younger so I grew accustomed to being a single child before he entered my life.  I wasn't sure about him for the first 1-2 years and I was jealous of all the attention he got from our cousins who were living with us at the time.  I can remember a few times we bonded and I know he missed me tremendously when I went off to college, but I sadly didn't miss him much as I was off experiencing new things in college.  I took for granted my little sweet brother until it was too late, by the time I wanted to hang out with him, he was off doing cool new things, having adventures in New York, and all I could do was visit and buy him expensive things with all the money I was making at the time.  HAHA.  

After Church on Sunday, the kids and I were waiting for Andy to come downstairs.  They had to find a way to pass the time, so they ended up playing with the curtains against the wall.  Dagny thought this was the best thing ever.  She could not stop laughing, standing against the wall playing with her big bros, and just being a part of it all.  

Jordan and Dagny behind the curtains as Bubba ran around them.  Squeals heard from all around

Dagny in the mix

Bubba escaping into the curtains

To top it off, she is my only child who will still sit still for a photo.  When I try to take a photo of Jordan now, he runs off.  When I try to take a photo of Bubba, he makes a mad or silly face which normally consists of him scrunching his eyebrows and looking up or down, both of which do not make for excellent photos.  Dagny, however, will sit and dangle her legs for about 2 minutes before she's over it.  I'll take it while I still can.

yes mom?

climbing up!

so happy she got on her chair all by herself!

shoulder shrug

check out those t-straps!

sweet girl 

Plus, I am in love with her new shoes.  I saw another baby girl wearing them as I was waiting for Jordan at gymnastics and I asked her mom where she got them from.  Shop small!  A girl locally from Utah, with a store online (she has an Instagram account, I follow for sales and giveaways) Monpetit Shoes makes them by hand and they were too adorable to pass up.  She has t-straps and little loafers and they are both so so cute!

After making some money from a print I designed for someone, I thought I'd go ahead and use the unexpected proceeds (I had volunteered to do it for free), and then my mom said she'd pay for them right around Dagny's birthday.  Win-win!

Asian Barbie!

I remember the only Asian Barbie doll I had.  It was my second Barbie.  She had silver MC Hammer pants and well.. luckily, thanks to the world wide web, I was not only able to find her on eBay, but get a photo, though I remember her looking a lot more Asian.  Upon review of her face now, she is definitely a little hapa girl, with a good tan, like she grew up in Hawaii or pro-tanned too long.  

The funny thing about rocker Asian Barbie is that all my asian friends had her.  It was as if every Chinese mom saw her in the store and immediately purchased her, because she was also sadly all of our least favorite dolls.  I remember thinking, what a waste - I could have had a blonde haired REAL Barbie doll, but instead I got her Asian friend?  ugh.  Yes, real mature.  

I am a bit of a Barbie obsessed girl, and I honestly can't wait to play with Dagny.  I know it's a bit beyond her age, but for Christmas, I got her a Barbie that's still in its package and sitting on her wardrobe.  But then... while at a Toys R Us going out of business sale, we saw THIS Asian barbie.  

First of all, Asian Barbie dolls are RARE.  In all my time browsing for Barbies, I have seen Barbie, her friends brunette white Barbie and black Barbie, but never have I seen Asian Barbie!  I just HAD to buy her immediately!!

Then, this morning, as Andy was taking her out of her crib, she kept pointing at the box of Asian Barbie doll who was also on the wardrobe.

So there you have it... Asian Barbie doll.  As my friend Jen said, true to Asian woman form, you can't tell if she is 25 or 45.  Hahaha, that made me laugh really hard and long.  And, tomorrow, we will probably take white Barbie out of her "It's a Girl!" box and change outfits with Asian Barbie.  Asian Barbie is now the star of the show.  

And of course, I'm reminded of this video, about Asian American doll from SNL.  Enjoy!  

Rain Boots At Last

It doesn't rain much in California but I remember fancying a pair of rain boots at Loehmanns once.  It had a cute paisley print, another had polka dots.  It seemed frivolous to buy a pair of rainboots I'd probably only get to wear once in my life.  Plus, the reality is, they weren't that cute.  The actual foot covering part looked quite bulky.  

Then it'd rain in California, the one week it did, normally in February, and I'd make my way to work, wondering why I didn't have a decent pair of rainboots to help me navigate through a few puddles as I walked from the parking lot to the office (yeah, not exactly the longest walk).  Nobody really owned rainboots in California, at least not that I can recall.  Wait, no, I do vaguely remember one annoying co-worker who boasted of her rainboots (and they were cute, I remember telling her that) and how she FINALLY got the chance to wear them to work.  Then, to be honest, she looked uncomfortable in them all day long.  There were definitely no puddles inside the 44th floor of our downtown LA office.

All the above serves as a preface to why I am so secretly thrilled to be shopping for rainboots now (and let's be real, they are kinda ugly).  Our family is making our way to Washington D.C. for the months of March and April as Andy does a rotation with OSHA.  We'll be living in Capitol Hill for the two months without a car (pretty much the main reason we gave up our favorite tandem Options Contour double stroller for the stinking City Select double and its glider).  As we're getting closer to departure, I have been more and more excited about this serious adventure we are taking.  I've never lived anywhere besides California (southern mostly and then northern but only for a bit), Spokane, and Salt Lake City.  I've always wanted to live in New York, but then the time passed and it was too late (not a very family friendly city).  Now, I get to live in a bustling city with my husband and three kids ages 4, 2, and 1.  It is going to be an adventure, to say the least!

So on my list of shopping items is currently some great rain boots, though I can't quite figure out what color to get, my favorite... purple? or something bold like red or yellow or just plain black or grey?  And then I, a lover of lists, have started trying to organize what I think we'll need to bring.  My thoughts are veering towards two weeks worth of clothes, but since we are going straight from D.C. to Orlando, we have to pack stuff accordingly for lighter spring weather and then the start of summer/tornado season with swim and summer stuff.  I think a few pair of shorts will do, a few pairs of jeans for myself, and tops, but then there's also Church clothes (maybe 2 outfits we just rotate through every week?) and PJs (especially for the kids), some toys, etc.  My mind is whirling with the possibilities, and of course, I've been wanting new luggage forever (Andy's big bulky ones are SO heavy, they add weight to our luggage even without much in it!) that is lightweight and easy to move, so there's also that on the horizon.  Overall, I'm like a kid at the candy factory, excited at my options, not sure what to choose, and already hyped up from the anticipation of sugar.

I can't wait!  7 more weeks... Chinese New Year's, the Superbowl, Valentine's and then we're off!

What to pack?  Anyone with advice?

Don't Look Back

I started my daily scripture study by watching the above video.  I've always loved the story of Lot's wife because it was one I can so sadly relate to.  As I left the me of the past behind and became a Mormon, I changed a lot.  It's been a while so it's not a huge deal but the past haunts me a lot.  I have this ridiculously good memory about inane things, and so I can remember a lot of life in my 20's when life was quite different than what it is now.  I know without a doubt that once the Spirit communicated to me, there was happiness I never knew in the gospel and an understanding I have that I didn't always before.  But that doesn't mean I don't still have doubts.  About if it was just a fleeting emotion because it was something new.  About all the stuff that just requires a bit more faith than I'm able to have right now.  

Recently, I've had a few conversations with friends who are LDS as they asked me about what it was like to drink alcohol before.  A lot of times, LDS folk will say, oh if I weren't LDS, I'd definitely be a coffee addict or I'd definitely be an alcoholic.  Some even comment about what kind of "beer" drinkers they'd be based on the marketing they've seen.  I tell them that beer is an acquired taste and wine sort of is too.  If I compare it to the first time they drank ice tea - oh wait, Momos don't drink ice tea, so then I say... umm diet coke?  That seems to ring a bell. Mormons friggin love Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper.  But honestly, who loves Diet Coke the first time they drink it (besides my two year old?)  I tell them that jungle juice, or basically any concoction with hard A and something to tone it down (think margarita though a little saltier or Long Island ice tea or pina colada) it tastes just like the virgin ones you drink, because hello, that's why people drink it - it tastes so good and you can't taste the alcohol and the next thing you know, you're done for.  But most people don't drink those things outside of college or the first few years after college graduation at a bachelor or bachelorette party because they aren't really sustainable.  They're so full of sugar that most people end up having a bacardi and diet coke or red bull and vodka.  Okay, see what I mean.  I can just get going and then all I'm doing is living in my past of alcoholic days.  I digress.

The truth is, I'm not really good at talking to people at parties without being a little buzzed.  Six years later, I'm still learning how to have a conversation at a party without a little alcohol to assist me.  The truth is, I do miss the bubbly delight of a mimosa early in the morning, or the chic coolness of holding an apple martini, but then there's Martinelli's and martinis aren't even cool anymore (apparently, Moscow mules took over a few years ago, and yes I do wish I knew what they tasted like but I don't).  I guess trends change and tastes change, but looking back at it, well, it's just plain silly.

I'd like to learn from my past, but not dwell in it.  Though I left behind a really fun world, I got an even better one.  I'm excited for 2016 and all the adventures in store for our family.  I'm excited about still being Mormon and knowing that I still have a lot to learn, even though I'll probably always feel like the new convert, still trying to figure things out.

The hardest part lately has been the realization that as my kids grow up, how will I be a good Mormon mom to give them a good balance of what I think are great principles and what I think might be too much Mormon cultural jibberish?  I want my sons to be Eagle Scouts, but I've also heard the debates from supporters and not so avid supporters (all Momo).  I've never been a teenage girl who was LDS, so even though my super strict Chinese mom didn't let me have a boyfriend until I was 16, it's just a coincidence that I kind of great up like a Mormon (newsflash: Mormons girls are encouraged not to date until 16, and then to go on group dates then and not take anything too serious... ummm, sounds like being Chinese to me).  At the same time, my parents never talked to me about sex, so when Andy had a talk with Jordan (who is 4) about how he should try to shield his eyes if he sees a naked girl on TV, I was at a loss.  Growing up, we made crude jokes about things we didn't understand, yet we were all naive and most of us just thought "sex" was when the lights went out in a movie and covered our eyes as we giggled anyway.  We also probably ran around screaming sexual obscenities that our Asian immigrant parents didn't understand (we weren't allowed to say any curse words but anything else, they didn't really get and neither did we).  It's going to be an adventure raising my LDS kids who already know more Bible stories than I did at their age.  At least I know with faith and an eye towards the future, I should be up for the challenge.  Here's hoping...

Nursery's Awesome!

There's this thing in the Mormon church where everyone gets a job, but they give it a fancy name and call it a "calling."  I've had all different sorts of callings since joining the Church.  From program maker (probably my favorite calling thus far) to FHE (family home evening) co-leader to Primary secretary to Young Women advisor to Sunday gospel doctrine teacher (my least favorite) to Primary teacher.  Just recently, I was getting ready to teach the 7 year old class, when I got a call on New Year's Day about some changes.

Since I'll be here and there a lot next year as we go on rotations with Andy, they did some shuffling around and told me I would no longer be teaching the 7 year olds.  Instead, I'd be in the Nursery.  This is where kids ages 18 months to 3 years old (you graduate to the Primary once you're 3 as of January, but if you're not.. then you're in Nursery until January 1st each year) go to play for two hours, have a small snack, a tiny bit of singing, and a mini-lesson (think super simple).  Anyway, personally, when I received the phone call about the change I was ecstatic.  Our youngest just turned 14 months and though she isn't quite walking yet, all she does is try to get around, crawling, standing, making noise, doing fun stuff exploring.  She isn't exactly up for just chilling in my lap during the second or third hours of Church during Sunday school.  Being in Nursery would not only be a two hour calling every week to spend time with my 2.5 year old, but would also start to help Dagny get used to playing with a bunch of kids in preparation for her official entry into Nursery in 4 months.

Most people, when they hear you're in Nursery, they laugh or feel sorry, they joke about how it's the worst calling and blah blah blah.  It is definitely no cake walk, these kids are hyper and some can't share, don't have any experience, some are sick but not contagious, dripping boogers all over you, but none of that really matters to me.  I'm actually stoked to be in Nursery, and what better time than when you have two kids in there?!

We were having lunch with a friend when I got the call.  I told her how stoked I was, and she said I was being really positive.  She was impressed.

Some things about being Mormon, culturally, still make no sense to me.  Maybe it's because I'm just different, but diet coke still tastes disgusting to me, funeral potatoes are still good but not worth making myself, and Nursery is going to be awesome, no matter what anyone says about it!  I might be alone, but I think it's gonna be great.

Today was really fun in Nursery.  I like observing all the kids and helping them share and be nice.  I already can note which kids are bullies (mine used to be), which have no experience sharing (only child), which have older siblings who have taught them (the sporty kids who love looking after the baby), and the young ones who have been pushed around by their older siblings.  I think I would have enjoyed being a teacher.

Tis Been a Good Year!

There's this weird family Chinese superstition that I've grown up with.  You never really give attention or praise to anything good in your life, because for some reason it might go sour.

I've always sort of lived by that mantra, call it humility or stupidity, but I've always been afraid to boast about my little wins.  Like when my kid sleeps through the night... it never ceases to amaze me that the moment I share it with my friends, the kid stops sleeping.  For some reason, it only seems safe to share these little wins with my husband.  We get to brag about our little wins to each other without any repercussion, but to anyone else... there is always some backlash.

So it's all a disclaimer that as I say what I'm about to say, I really hope I don't jinx us.

Life is great!  As everyone looks back at the year with 2016 coming upon us, I can't help but think well... our year was pretty ordinary, definitely not extraordinary, but at the same time.. everything is great.

We have loved Andy's switch to occupational medicine, mostly because we get to see him EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND, EVERY SINGLE HOLIDAY, and pretty much by 5 or 6 PM EVERYDAY.  On top of that, the energy and passion we've seen from him as he learns more from clinical experiences and scoring high on tests has been priceless.  It's really something to see your husband doing something he loves, and doing it well.  He also has a couple of side projects, one of his projects was Chic Shield, a concept he along with some other guys developed and presented as part of a Bench to Bedside competition sponsored by the U.  I also got to work side by side with him, helping his team with a poster that they used for the competition.  He's got a project he's working on with a buddy and they have been making great progress, hopefully they will be able to get a patent lawyer and investors and go public with the idea soon!  It's pretty exciting on the sidelines and as the future marketing.

I have continued to work at BlueSky with a reduced workload, and in its place I have been able to feel accomplished as a mom of three.  I feel good when the house is clean, when the kids are well fed,  when I cook something new, when we read together, when my kids help out at home, and when we are able to go out by ourselves or with friends.  It feels good despite random tantrums, missed naps, or some Mommy time outs.  I've worked on myself a bit this year, got back into pre-pregnancy shape (sort of, as close as you can get probably), finished a draft of a children's book (now looking for artists!), learned the true art of making a French macaron, put make-up on a bit more and opted out of my PJs a few more days of the week, and continued to hone my Photoshop skills by making prints for friends and myself.

Jordan continues to be full of energy.  He can run and run and run and only stop for water.  He has become such a loving sweet older brother.  He loves to take care of Dagny and Bubba and despite some mild arguments he has with Bubba (mostly when Bubba doesn't want to play what he's dictating), the two get along great.  He has become such a great listener, not necessarily with us, but we've observed as he keenly follows instructions at Gymnastics and overheard him advise Bubba that if he listens, he'd get to go first in line.  He started music classes with Let's Play Music in the Fall along with school five days a week and he absolutely loves it.  He loves to ask deep questions and observes and notices many things.  He loves golf, soccer, baseball, basketball, and BYU sports.  He's become creative with some of the games he likes to play and has grown in his love of set toys like Octonauts, cars, trains, legos, other building sets, superheros, planes, pirates, - to name a few.  He cares so much for his siblings and sometimes after I have been trying repeatedly to get Bubba to do something, he will sigh and said, "Mom, I'll just do it."  I've let him do it a couple of times but a lot I tell him Bubba needs to learn.  Hehe.

Bubba has become a talking machine.  He is using random complete sentences here and there, always taking us by surprise, and gets really frustrated when we can't understand him.  He is still as stubborn as ever but we've noticed over time, he has become a little more understanding and willing to compromise.  He no longer grabs onto my hair incessantly while sleeping, and will say "ok" when I ask him to please stop pulling my hair.  He loves puzzles and can count to 10 in Chinese and English, sing the ABC song, and mimics Andy for scripture study with all the correct intonations (but not the correct sounds all the time quite yet).  He hasn't quite developed the same empathy and love for his baby sister as his big bro, but he's still very aware of her and cares for her when she falls, though sometimes his comfort is a little too rough and too much.  He goes to school once a week and does gymnastics and asks me everyday if he has school or gymnastics.  He is slowly learning how to love Dagny and be a better older brother.  He loves following Jordan around and always asks where he is when he's at school, and has the happiest welcome home smile when we go to pick up Jordan from school.

Dagny is such a doll.  She is (please don't jinx us) such a calm, easy going baby.  That said, she is definitely fiesty and knows that a little scream gets her whatever she wants since her brothers always want to make her happy and hate hearing "Dangy cry."  She is crawling everywhere, loves climbing (and has no fear, found her on the piano bench just playing the piano like it was her job and can climb on her jumper and just stand there), and can take about 4-5 steps, but doesn't really care for it.  Every now and then, she'll stand up on her own and then has this goofy grin before she goes back down to crawling mode.  She loves stuffed animals and blankets, more than our boys ever did, and the same goes for her binky.  She is perfectly content just siting and eating and loves blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fries.  She loves her daddy so much, loves to continually chant da-da and always screams to be held by him the moment he returns from work.

2016 is going to be an adventure for us.  We can't wait!  Happy New Year!!