kids summer plans

The younger one (3rd grader going to 4th grade):
I want to have N or J over for a play date. I also want to blow something up like a water balloon. I will also want to travel and  play tricks on M (sibiling like tricks). 

The older one (going to 6th grade):
I would like to visit Seattle and Vancouver. I also want to swim with my friends and have play dates. I would like to go to the beach early in the morning at low tide.I would like to stay up late with my family and watch movies and play boardgames. I would also like to go to sailing camp and learn to sail.

Kids talk

June 2015
Recently mom found a yummy yeast-rising waffle mix recipe that makes crispy waffles, so yummy that the kids eat a lot of them and our waffle iron is now used almost daily.
 
Before family film watching evening,
Mom: The waffle mix needs to be made the night before. Let's not eat it tomorrow morning as it's late and I don't want to make it.

During family film watching break,
Mom: Let's make the waffle mix tonight so we can have it for breakfast tomorrow.
Dad: You said not tonight.
Soon-to-be-11-year-old: It's because she saw the food in the film and now she wants it.
Mom: You're so smart!
Soon-to-be-11-year-old: That's because I'm that way too. I want to eat it when I see it.

May 2015
The younger one just turned 9 year old, and the older one will turn 11 next month.

Late May
Kids playing with friends family
Mom: Where are your sister and her friend?
9-yr-old: I turned them into flies!!

Friday 16 May 
The younger one: She's nice to daddy, to mommy, to Coco and Kiki.
Dad and Mom: She's not nice to you?
The younger one: She spends a quarter of her time scolding me.

New Kittens Kiki and Coco

After almost one year of missing Snowball, we thought we might try getting a kitten again because 10-year-old kept saying that she would love one of her own to care for. Snowball was 5 when she was born, so she felt that did not have her own kitty.

We started looking at the beginning of Christmas holidays, and put in two applications. The first kitten was a shy one so the society didn't want a family with kids for it. The second one we were simply too slow - the day after it was posted when we saw it the kitty was already adopted. 

Another pet adoption society showed on facebook so I checked it and saw a bunch of black kittens. The bios were very detailed so I found a female kitten I liked. The bio indicated that this kitten always followed her brother who shouldn't be left alone so he needed to go to a family that are mostly around. We asked to see both kitties and the kids really enjoyed meeting and playing with them. The 8-year-old demonstrated really good skills to hold the whole litter of 4 one by one and the kittens were all so cute. We thus put in an application for both kitties -- the kids wrote first and I helped with revision, completion and sending. After the Christmas break was over, a volunteer phoned to speak about the applications for 36 minutes. 3 days later we heard that we're approved for the kittens.

Last Friday early evening, the evening before we lost Nonie for one year, we picked up the two purring kitties. They were kept in the safe room downstairs where everything they needed was there for one evening before they came out the next day. Hubby put a camera in there and the two were wrestling and playing in there. On Saturday we couldn't agree on their names. I was proposing Obi One and Obi Two, or R2 and D2, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and bun and meat bun etc., 10-year-old wants earl and mocha, and 8-year-old and dad wanted soccer stars' names. In the afternoon when I was replying a colleague friend's message, I mentioned we got the kittens. She asked if we were going to name the kittens after her and another colleague friend. I asked her if I should, since we really couldn't agree. She suggested Kiki (girl) and Coco (boy), and all four family members agreed right away, so now we're working to get them to know it's their names.

Coco really likes this spot in the kitchen

The two kittens are very different from Snowball. They were born in late September 2014, and are now 4 months old. When they first came Kiki kept wanting to hide. They were well cared for in a foster home so they do not use their claws on anyone. They let the kids hold them for a long time and purr very loudly. Coco likes following people and Kiki likes following him. Coco would gently move your hand to pat him, and Kiki loves being held up and stretching all four little legs - she even fell asleep like that in 10-year-old's arms. Both kids think they are so cute, while their dad sulks a lot and thinks it's a lot of work long-term. The kids have taken up a lot of work esp. cleaning the litter box. I was sitting and reading, and Kiki came over so I picked her up and held her. She was then taken by the 10-year-old to groom. Afterwards she came back and jumped to the space behind my back and put her paws gently on top of my back so I held her again. I really appreciate their gentleness. Their growing up with the kids help them get used to kids' patting and holding, and the kids are learning about how to care for them best as big brother and big sister. Pray for health and happiness for long years to come for all.

Happy New Year of 2015

First in 2014
Family lost a kitty, bred chicks and went to Japan and Tofino.

Dad: worked on a project for license application
Mom: went to a distant country alone for work
10-yr-old: starting viola
8-yr-old: starting guitar, going to Bainbridge Island, getting a tooth pulled out,

What we have to be thankful for 2014

Dad: family, friends, healthy and .... 

Mom: everything; even though certain things were difficult in 2014, they can be now good life lessons to draw from

10-yr-old: family, happiness of discovering new things like what I can do, and of rising to a new level, and of knowing that my hard work is cherished, love, and new clothes

8-yr-old: my comfy bed, new clothes - my sweater, my friends, books, electronics (mom >_<), fresh air, hiking, our place

New hope for 2015
For self -
Dad: family health; leave a sticky situation for 5 min. and calm down

Mom: regular exercise; stay positive (8-yr-old: mommy is already positive)

10-yr-old: more time to focus on Chinese work (got an 80 on test which is an F for her, it's because of lack of concentration); work on viola; take deep breaths before handling a situation and ignore those who bother me

8-yr-old: doing more math and writing to be the best at writing and math; grow bigger and get better at soccer; become techi in class; stop pouncing on sister; be more organized

For family -
For Daddy:
control his temper and don't scare and threaten us when we disagree with him; stop looking at computer and get outside; control his volume; stop wearing boxer pants in front of windows; have better mood in the morning; get rid of the tooth-shaped hair patch on forehead; stop snoring; stop drinking coffee everyday (dad: no way); stop making faces

For Mommy:
(from 8-yr-old) eat more things faster; open more things (like chocolate potato chips); don't pick teeth; stop using my towel to cover herself when brushing teeth; buy a new bathrobe to wear and not wear mine; let us play Mario once a day (Mom's response: don't even think during the week); stop putting on ghost mask; stop being afraid of cold
(from 10-yr-old) to *always* listen to us with more explanation; stop chewing finger
(from dad) exercise more

For 10-yr-old:
(from 8-yr-old) stop wearing glasses every meal of the day; stop staring at me; stop being mad after getting out of bed in the morning; stop having nightmares about stealing your cake and stop screaming at me at night; stop putting up feet at dining table and stop kicking me; stop stealing chocolates from cupboard; stop reading every single minute of everyday; stop disliking your brother's presents; stop putting wart on my face; stop making kids run after me; stop sitting on daddy; stop trying to annoy me; stop taunting me for eating candies
(from mom) clean and organize your own space; be confident and understand that you don't need to please anyone;
(from dad) be organized; be nice to parents and stop attitudes; drink water; don't yell at family; plan ahead


For 8-yr-old:
(from mom) stop chewing fingers/thumbs; quit candy; eat only healthy snacks and always brush teeth; always stay responsible and polite
(from dad) good attitude; be more confident in playing sports;
(from 10-yr-old) stop breaking promises; stop annoying me; find something to do when feeling bored; stop doing disgusting things; stop imitating swords men or pointing finger guns at me; try to keep words all the time; stay loyal to family; be more honest


Happy New Year of 2015

From Hurricane Ridge. Somehow it looks a bit fake here, but it's real

Looks

Recently the 10-year-old likes to say "Mom you're pretty" or "Mom you look perfect." My response would be "Looks change, and what's inside is most important" or "you're prettier and smarter than me." This conversation has been happening routinely these days. 

But does look/the way we present ourselves matter?

Was just reading a book about work efficiency and amazingly, instead of all about work itself, it dedicates a chapter to human interactions and relations. One section talks about the importance of paying attention to how we look and present our looks, and sloppy dressers usually achieve less success. I really think it depends on circumstances and is not always the case.

But it reminds me of one instance that I experienced. In my college senior year, we had a small-sized English Composition class, and the teacher was an older man. He did not give the impression as someone who cared about his looks very much and didn't dress neatly. One day we had to talk -- I forgot the context, maybe teacher-student conference time or just about some homework. He suddenly said, "do you know what impression you gave me? I think you're a sloppy student who doesn't pay enough attention to study and are a sloppy dresser." I was so shocked to be called a sloppy dresser by someone I considered a sloppy dresser.

When I started teaching, I started noticing that I did have to watch how I dress so students didn't take me as another student. Now I do pay attention to how I dress on days when I have to meet people.

Good looks are beyond our control unless we're willing to go through surgical procedure. I do feel that some people can get away with not paying attention to their looks and outfit while others cannot. This work tip about how we present ourselves is interesting where it says the way you dress actually is a factor in the success rate of your project getting approved.

Kids Talk

This is the first time I'm away from the kids for a 16-day work trip. We skyped every or every other day.

The just-turned-8-yr-old: Mom, I miss you lots.
Mom: I miss you too! I haven't had someone to kiss for so long.
8-yr-old: Kiss yourself!
--------------
10-yr-old: Fashion to me is elegant dresses that have silk ruffles on the bottom, and when you want to you can take it off and put on agile clothes you can run in. They can't have too many sequins or ruffles. They have to be easy to put on, and be made with the best material like mud silk.
--------------
Q: What makes you happy?

8-yr-old: Mom!
(Mom: You're not happy when mommy tells you to do things.)
10-yr-old: Remember that image of a girl using a chalk to draw a mother on the ground and she lay in the middle of it? I wish all orphans in this world can find good parents.
--------------
The 8-yr-old burst into tears when 10-yr-old commented he liked purple smoothies.
Mom: What's the best way to respond to her teasing?
8-yr-old: Tape her mouth.
--------------
Q: What kind of person would you like to become?
10-yr-old: a famous marine biologist that discovers a way for humans to breath under water; have two children and a husband. The children are twins, one boy and one girl who get along well though sometimes squabble. I would like to be a famous scientist and teach students about the ocean. I would retire early and live in a cozy little cottage by the ocean and the forest. I would also like to travel around  the world. I would be a confident, brave, strong, and athletic person. 

Rainy long weekend

Easter long weekend in Canada is coming, but the forecast shows rain throughout the time off >_<

Over the long weekend, it didn't rain everyday, some rain, some switching between cloud and rain and sunshine, and lots of wind. We did dinner with friends one night, movie night out once and in (with projector) once, easter family event, a walk with friends, and another walk in the wind. Next year we should go to church.

Last night was the closing time of the 4-day weekend, and each kid came to find me separately and said to me "I don't want to go to school." Even this morning the younger one came in and said he didn't want to go and he had a headache. I was on skype with auntie who could tell he just didn't want to go to school ^_^ After school he said the school went well. This morning around the bridge there was congestion and we were lined up because of the closure of a street across from the bridge. The kids were late for 10 min. and I went into work 15 min. later than usual (because they usually get dropped after me) but today many of their classmates who live on our side of the bridge were also late. The older one also shared that one of her classmate's car went out of gas in the traffic and had to get a tow truck and gas before getting to school, and the process took an hour.