09.28.07
Presenting the saddest mosquito bite ever
The baby look very very pathetic for two days, but she was a trooper and didn’t complain about it at all. She look so sad that I wanted to cry but laughed instead.
The charming baby
Grandma and grandpa Junneck are visiting. While Jiejie is her usual slow-to-warm-up and aloof introvert, the baby totally uses her charm and have the grandparents wrap around her little fingers.
Parade pros
The girls had their annual Cultural Parade in school today. It is the last Cultural Parade Maddy can participate. Next year she will be in kindergarten somewhere.
Her first parade: We were newbies at the school. Daddy tried to attend a class party with the best entertaining food. The girl was barely one then.
Then there were parades in 2005 and 2006 where the girl passed her toddler stages:
This year, she is all grown up. There is a total preschooler posture about her, quite reserved yet wonderfully beautiful as a four year old girl:
09.23.07
Just another typical weekend
Abe turned Four on Sat. They hosted the party at Frankie’s and it was a blast: lots and lots of fun activities for the kiddos, and parents. Happy Birthday, Abe!!
09.20.07
My spicy noodles
Madison is an exact replicate of me. For the most part, it is quite funny because I can see way ahead of time what she is going to say or do. My only compliant is that my favorite foods has become her favorite foods as well, which means that I have to share. Frankly, sometimes I don’t want to share my favorite foods. Tonight, we had this conversation where I rolled my eyes in my head in silent protest:
Mommy: Good night sweetheart!
Maddy: What are you going to do now?
Mommy: I’m kind of hungry so I’m going to eat my dinner now.
Maddy: What are you going to eat?
Mommy: hmm… spicy noodles
Maddy: Oh… That’s ok.
Mommy: That’s ok?
Maddy: yea. That’s ok that you are going to eat MY spicy noodles, but don’t eat all of them.
Mommy [rolled her eyes in her head. YOUR SPICY NOODLE? They are MINE. Read my lips… MINE]
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Than again… other times I am secretly glad that the girls did not take their food preferences from daddy, who is a big sucker for sweets, meats, and everything unhealthy.
We made these spider snacks the other night. They had two bites, and didn’t want them any more: The marshmallow spread was too sticky and the grahams crackers were too sweet. They requested to have plain pretzels with milk instead. I suppose with healthy girls like them, I shouldn’t complain about having to share my spicy noodles after all.
09.18.07
Reasons to smile
We are so predictable it’s sad. The guy at Subway told me what I was going to order today. I mean… sure.. all the ah-ye’s at the Chinese restaurants know our ‘usuals’, but they are Chinese people. When Subway and Fresh Salsa workers start to know our ‘usuals’, it’s the sign that I should at least pick out something else when we go out.
Despite of me being a bad cook, there are these two little persons who would ALWAYS pick “I want mommy to cook”. They don’t care for anything fancy, just some steam veggies, fresh fruits, plain pasta or rice with a cup of milk would make them very very happy. I am way too lucky:
09.17.07
Catching the season of fall
This past weekend had been unbelievably beautiful.. for North Carolina. It had finally cooled down to the tempeture where I don’t get irritated easily. Frankly, I refuse to stay indoors at all costs whenever we get a ‘California Day’.. Two California Days in a row? I can almost smell the brisk air from the pacific ocean and the redwood forests, ALMOST.
We did enjoy the birtday party for auntie LingLing on Sat, and an improv trip to the Museum of Life and Science on Sun(Livy took a nap during sermon so there was no point going home for naps). Mei-mei’s favorite part was making noises. Jei-jei claimed her favorite part was the ice popsicle. However, since daddy doesn’t have a picture of that, I think being a butterfly will have to do.
09.16.07
Settling into the last year of preschool
I’ve long realized that for us to not feel overwhelmed and over-scheduled, two extracurricular activities is the good balance for us. After trying out various classes for the past two years, Maddy has finally settled into her two: piano and ballet/tap.
She has a new ballet teacher this year, but she is pleased that her beloved assistant teacher Valerie is helping out with her class. She twirled and leaped during her first class. It is such a big deal for her considering it took her 6 weeks of standing rigidly before deciding to even lift up one leg to join the rest of the class last year.
The girl is enjoying her piano lessons as well. Sometimes she even reminds me that she hasn’t practiced piano before going to school. I think we’ll get her a real piano next year if she continues to enjoy and progress well.
Now if only I can gather feedbacks about the elementary schools and make an informed decision… then I can start planning the activites for the baby. Perhaps she’ll like soccor, and I can be a soccor mom after all. Then again, it would be easier if she does the same things as jiejie. She would make a charming ballerina!
09.14.07
The search for the right elementary school
This is the year I seriously started researching for different elementary schools for Maddy since we will be registering her as the incoming kindergartener next Feb.
It’s like going into a candy store and asked to pick only one thing, and I hope to pick one that is most suitable for us. So far, We have been entertaining the following school list, but will need to attend their open houses, school tours, and talk to parents with kids in the school before making the final decision:
1) Carpenter Elementary (public, year-round in Cary)
pros: neighborhood school down the street; year-round
cons: test score considerably lower than adj schools to to various reasons (large % of ESL students are being shuttled to this new school; principle does not believe in ‘competitions’; etc)
notes: Talked to several parents there and have mixed feelings about the school
Need a school visit
2) Cedar Fork (public, traditional in Morrisville)
pros: Good performance; high diversity
cons: traditional calendar
notes: Need a school visit; need to talk to co-workers with kids going there.
3) Fuller (public, magnet, traditional in Raleigh)
pros: Excellent magnet programs
cons: far far far in downtown Raleigh ‘bad’ areas.. as most of the magnet schools are; Need to get in by lottery
notes: Need a school visit; arranged talking to a few with kids attended there.
4) Chesterbrook (private, traditional in Cary)
pros: low teacher/student ratio; fairly close to home; it’s private
cons: paying for being private; traditional calendar
notes: school tour coming Thursday; arranged talking to two co-workers with kids there.
5) Raleigh School (Co-op private, traditional in Raleigh)
pros: low teacher/student ratio; it’s private; high parental involvement
cons: far far far from home; traditional calendar
notes: will arrange school tour soon
6) Green Hope (public, year-round in Cary); moving involved
pros: Great public school with year round calendar
cons: we have to move; therefore, low priority on list
7) Glenwood (public, traditional in Chapel Hill); moving involved
pros: Great publich school with Chinese immersion program
cons: far from work/friends/church… also moving required.. low priority on list
8 Cary Christian (private, traditional in Cary)
pros: It comes with all the good private schools and it’s a Christian school; modified traditional calendar
cons: paying for private; traditional calendar; it’s a Christian school (I prefer non-religious schools over religious schools and much rather they grow up with friends both Christians and non-Christians)
It’s exciting and stressful at the same time, and I can’t believe the girl will be an official school next year!!
09.06.07
To the little trouble maker
Dear meimei,
You got suspended from the preschool today (AGAIN) because you bit twice in a row and I had to pick you up from school.
You totally knew that you were in big trouble, showering me with your big smiles (and nervous grins) and your hugs. When I talked to you about biting friends, you had your head down trying to pretend like you didn’t hear a word I said.
For a split second, I wanted to be mad at you. But I can’t… You’re fiesty, passionate, and confrontational. It is your nature to defend for youself (when your toys are taken) instead of passively given in like your jiejie or mommy would have done.
Something about you tells me that there will be a lot more of these calls from schools in the future. Something about you tells me that I will have way more challenges raising you than raising Maddy.
But I celebrate your boldness, your incredible determination, and your charming ways!! I am secretly proud that you, the youngest kid in class, bravely faced your ‘opponent’. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t change anything about you…although we might have to work on your strategies of getting things back.
Love you always,
mommy
09.04.07
Family retreat with little kids
We went to the church family retreat in the moutain this past weekend. As expected, the retreat didn’t feel like a ‘retreat’ when I was resposible for the well being of two little girls. Not that they didn’t behave or anything, they were charming, flexible, and cute as they can be sans Livy’s occasional tantrums that were larger than her life.
The facility was so-so although bearable. The saving grace is that they have free wi-fi, and Joe and I hid in the bathroom with our laptops while the girls tried to go down for the night.
I didn’t exactly have any free time to reflect or do my devotion as a retreat’s general assumed activities, but I did enjoy other things:
1) PJ’s sermons. He is wittier and wiser than I remember him from long time back.
2) a late night date with Maddy out to the cafe. We shared a hot chocolate; people watched; and enjoyed the chilly night air
3) Lots of playdates and meal time with the Chao’s. As usually, Maddy loved spending time with Kathryn. I would venture to say that Livy and Koen bonded as well.
4) long naps with the girls in the afternoons.
But the best part of the retreat (not according to Maddy because she wanted to stay there longer) is definitely coming home and sleep on my own bed!!