Hurt Feelings

My four-year-old is out of school today and tomorrow for conferences. Not just any conference...kindergarten readiness conference. Every child who wishes to attend kindergarten at our school undergoes "kindergarten readiness" testing (even ones who are already there attending preschool). It is actually no big deal to the kids. It is not set-up as a test, but more of an unique playtime. One of the things they ask the kids about is your parents' "job."

When my son took his test and was asked what his mommy's job was, he replied, "Her job is taking care of us." Bless his heart!

When I asked my four-year-old, "What did you say mommy's job was?" she replied, "Nothing!"

"What do you mean nothing?" I asked. This was definitely not the answer I was expecting.

"You don't have a job mommy!" Needless to say, I definitely felt slighted and answered indignantly, "What do you mean? My job is taking care of you and your brother!" But, by this time, she had already moved on and was busy telling me about the rest of her day. Somebody please help me pull the knife (put there by my daughter) out of my back!

My Latest Obsession - More Playroom Organization

One of my new year's goals this year is to finish a project 100% before moving on to another project. I have a tendency to finish a project 95% or even 99% and then become distracted by something else that just has to be done immediately (of course, it really doesn't). Maybe it's because the last 5% is oftentimes the hardest to complete. Or maybe it's because it's so hard for me to focus on just one thing instead of multi-tasking on 5 projects at once.

Anyhow, my first project of the new year is to finish organizing the playroom. Remember those handy paint tins from way back in November? That was just the beginning. I have forced myself to focus just on the playroom for the past few weeks - not an easy task! But my latest find is making it easier. When roaming around Costco last week, I found these shoe boxes. Perfect for organizing and at $14.69 for 14 boxes, the price is perfect too!


So, after much sorting and purging, everything now has a home. The next step was to label each box so the kids have one less excuse to help with keeping their playroom neat. I used these oval labels I already had from Paper Source.



Who knows? If I'm lucky, I may even have some boxes left over for shoes!

Betty Crocker I am Not

I spent the morning yesterday doing my best to channel my inner Betty Crocker. The Cub Scouts were holding their Annual Cake Bake and needless to say, the pressure was on! Now, I am sure no one is surprised to learn that I am not a cake baker...avid cake eater, but not baker. If I am baking, it's cupcakes, mainly because the one other time I attempted a cake ended up with me rushing out to the local bakery at the last minute.

Now, in case you didn't know, the Cub Scout motto is, "Do Your Best," so I thought..."Why not?" With my son doing the pouring and mixing and my daughter assisting with the frosting, we all did our best. Because it was NFL play-off day and because my son loves the Indianapolis Colts, we chose a very simple football field design. Not too bad, right?


Remember when I mentioned that the pressure was on to at least attempt something respectable? Here is why. These are just a few of the AMAZING cakes from this year's Cake Bake. Truly humbled...again!

Chess Tutor

Because of all the rain we've been having this week (not that I am complaining...we definitely need it), we've been playing a ton of checkers and chess at home. Or rather, the kids have been. I dabble in checkers but I actually don't know how to play chess. I never had the urge to learn...probably because I am too impatient to actually sit still for that long. While I was out-of-town this past weekend, my husband taught the kids how to play chess and now they are obsessed...even my four-year-old.

In fact, she asked my yesterday if I wanted to play chess. I told her I don't know how to play. She replied excitedly, "That's ok mommy. I can teach you!" Hmmm. "Okay, sure."

She proceeded to set up the board for us, made her first move and then said, "It's your turn mommy." I reached for the instructions, but she cried out, "No mommy! I can teach you. You don't need the directions." She then gave me the quick and dirty about each piece. "The king can do anything mommy, seriously, he can. The queen has to protect the king. The castle can move like this..." and so on and so on. She did her best over the next few minutes to help me through my moves when it was my turn. But, after moving some of my pawns around and then my "horse", I was stuck. And my daughter could tell.

"What's wrong mommy?"
"I'm sorry sweetie, but I don't know what to do now. I'm stuck. I haven't ever played chess before."
She pondered that for a minute. "It's ok mommy if it's too complicated for you. We can try again another time."
Humbled by a four-year-old.

*image courtesy of wikipedia

My Baby Nephew

OK, while my sister's baby shower was tons of fun, the real highlight of the weekend, was meeting my new baby nephew! Yes, my sister had her baby this past weekend!! Here she is opening presents during her baby shower on Saturday.


She started having contractions the morning after the shower and by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, her son was born - 19 days early. Isn't he precious?


I cannot believe I was able to meet my nephew only a few hours after he was born! How lucky am I? Congratulations to the proud parents!!

Baby Shower

I have returned from rainy San Francisco to rainy Southern California! The baby shower weekend was definitely eventful (more on that later...) It was so great to have the chance to see so many family and friends...all in one weekend.

Since I was coming in from out-of-town for the shower, I was in charge of decorations. Not wanting to take any chances, I stuffed all the decorations for the shower into two carry-on bags. Luckily I didn't have to unpack the alphabet blocks while going through security because I don't think I could have gotten them all back in the case.

Here is a picture of the flower poms being fluffed. These are great party decorations. Not only are they beautiful, they are also totally portable and reusable. I purchased mine from an etsy store called orange kisses.


One of my sister's dear friends (and fellow shower hostess) is an amazing baker. Here are a few of her gorgeous and equally delicious creations.




Here is the handmade sailboat I bought my sister to go along with her nursery theme. It's from another etsy store called Tweet (notice the pattern here) and you can click here to view the other fabric choices. These wooden blocks are another great party decoration I love to use.

Here are the poms...all fluffed and beautiful.




And finally, the favors. To go along with the alphabet letter theme, I bought the first initial of each guests' name, cut a stack of note cards and tied everything with a ribbon. Who doesn't love a baby shower??

New Parent Test

I am off tomorrow morning to San Francisco for my sister's baby shower and a 48-hour trip without any kids. However, I did offer to take my four-year-old with me since her brother has a basketball game and baseball try-outs on Saturday. She declined (politely) my offer and opted to stay with her brother. Go figure...not that I am complaining. I get the chance to visit the place we lived for six years, spend time with family and friends, and eat meals at my leisure.

The whole baby shower thing has me reminiscing back to our first days with our first born. I think the most surprising...no shocking thing was the fact that the doctors and nurses just let you leave the hospital with your baby. No questions asked, no test of any kind. Wait, I think they did ask if we had a car seat. It's definitely not for lack of tests in our society. There is the driving test, the scuba diving test, the test to become a United States citizen. For crying out loud, my four-year-old even has to take a test to enter kindergarten. (As a side note, can you believe there is not one single question about the appropriateness of hitting, biting or punching anywhere to be found on that test?)

Maybe they assume that if you are smart enough to figure out how to assemble a crib, you are smart enough to figure out how to swaddle? That's a big assumption given the fact that almost everything these days comes with a warning label. I think the one on my folding chair reads, "make sure no one is sitting in chair when attempting to fold." Seriously, I remember going home, putting our son who had slept through his whole departure from the hospital, in his crib, and then sitting down with my husband and saying "wow." As in, "Wow, they just let us leave the hospital with our first baby. Now what?"

One possible idea that I have come up with would actually also help with job creation: a new-parent hotline. A number that new parents can call and hear words of wisdom such as, "No ma'am, there is no such thing as a baby that sleeps too much." "No ma'am, I have never heard of a baby dying from crying too much." "Yes, ma'am. It is perfectly safe to take your newborn outside. How did you get home from the hospital?" That's it! I am going to send President Obama and email with just this suggestion. Helping new parents and the economy at the same time. Brilliant!

Fast and Easy Dinner

The first two weeks back-at-school has been crazy at best. Not only did we add basketball practice to our crowded nightly rotation, this crazy mom decided to squeeze in haircuts, dentist appointments, and some baseball practice. With so many evening activities, we've been walking in the door at night right around the time we should be finishing with dinner. Needless to say, preparing dinner has become a harried experience.

Now, being the Type A mom that I am, oh I mean, the Type A mom I am trying not to be, I keep a rough list of quick dinners for those weeknights where dinner needs to be f-a-s-t. Since it's a new year and a chance for new organization, I am actually formalizing my entire weekly planning process with weekly menu and grocery list templates. However, with our hectic schedule, I decided to start with my quick dinners.

Here is one of my favorite recipes...the bonus is that it's also super easy and super fast! You make it on the grill (no pots to wash!) and since it's summer here almost all year around, you can make it year around.

SOY-MARINATED CHICKEN THIGHS

• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme - half the time I make this, I have to omit this because I don't have fresh herbs on hand. It still tastes great!
• 8 (2 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• cooking spray

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat
3. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done.

All you need to do when you walk in the door is turn on the grill and grab the ziploc bag out of the fridge. You can throw together a quick salad or microwave some frozen veggies in the time it takes to grill the chicken. And to take advantage of the grill that's already hot, you can throw some flatbread on the grill for another minute. Quick dinner in about 10 minutes!

Childhood Nostalgia

You know how certain things can instantly trigger a childhood memory? Maybe it's a certain food or an activity. For me, it was a movie. I was searching for something to watch on tv this past weekend, when a certain movie title jumped out at me: Race to Witch Mountain. My mind immediately flashed back to the Disney Classics "Escape to Witch Mountain" and "Return to Witch Mountain."

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Do you remember the Disney Sunday Night Movies we used to watch growing up? I can still remember sitting down on Sunday nights in front of the television with my family and a bowl of popcorn. Needless to say, the Witch Mountain movies were some of my favorites. Now, I know this movie is a remake and it stars Dwayne Johnson (formerly "The Rock", but who has made a nice career move switching to family movies), but I just had to check it out.


I am only slightly embarrassed to admit this, but after only 15 minutes or so, I was hooked! Sitting on my couch under my blanket brought me back to my childhood. And, I have to say, it wasn't bad at all! It definitely satisfied my childhood nostalgia craving. In fact, considering how difficult it can be to find suitable movies for young kids, this one definitely goes on the list.

Of course, all of this got the A+ in me thinking about what memories my children will take away from their childhood. I admit that sometimes I get carried away with trying to make "perfect" memories and experiences for my children. That somehow, if they have all these perfect, joyful and only pleasant memories, they will want to stay closer to home or come home more often to visit. But the truth is, I had a wonderful childhood, but left home to attend college in Chicago and except for a brief one-year stint in my hometown, have not lived in my hometown for the past 20 years. So, whenever I start on a crazy quest to make an over-the-top experience for my kids and stress myself out to do so, I have to try really hard to remember that it is the love our kids have for their family and the smiles and laughter from their childhood that will bring them home. Besides, my children are still young enough that they keep telling me they are going to live with me FOREVER!!

New Year's Wishes

One of my (annual) new year's resolutions or wishes in this case, is to spend more time with family and friends. Neither my husband nor I have any family in Southern California - not even a crazy Uncle who only makes an appearance at family reunions. Therefore, we feel very fortunate to have made some wonderful friends here who have become like family to us. SO, being the relentless multitask-er that I am, I was in heaven on New Year's Eve. On that night, I enjoyed an evening with good friends, which also gave me a jump start on one of my 2010 wishes! Fabulous how that all fits together, right? But the best part? A delicious homemade meal of short ribs and garlic mashed potatoes. Many, many compliments to the chef!!

The kids had the first dinner seating and the chef even made them their own gourmet spaghetti and meatballs dinner. After wards, they all watched a movie in the bedroom while the adults dined. Here they are using the democratic process to select a movie.

Snuggling in to enjoy the show.


I am also happy to say that I already have two trips planned in the next month where I will get to see mom, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Now...if only those other resolutions were so easy!

Not a New Year Yet

I have a confession to make. The new year is stressing me out! I feel like before I can even start enjoying all the festivities of a new year, I need to finish taking care of all the chaos and debris left over from the holidays. Seriously, it's January 6th and I have just today finished packing Christmas 2009 away. After taking down our tree and packing up all the ornaments and other decorations, I had to ask, "Where did all this stuff come from?" And I mean literally because there didn't seem to be any open space in the garage.

Then, it was time to play a game that all mom's adore called, "Find a Home." Again, it's literal because it means trying to find a home for all the new games, toys and clothes that joined the family during the holidays. After all this is done, I was totally exhausted and the sight of the everyday mess (dishes, laundry, etc) that has gone ignored while I finish with Christmas drove me to tears. This time, not literally, but almost. Now, I know all this stress is self-induced and there really isn't an ancient Mayan God of New Years who declares that everyone needs to start the new year fresh, organized, and totally put together in order to better prepare oneself for the new feats of fantastical strength and endurance of the new year. Or is there?

Holiday Reflections

One of the things I wanted to do this year, before thinking about my resolutions for 2010 is take a few minutes and jot down some thoughts about Holidays 2009. The anal, business school grad in me wants to make a 2-pronged list with one part being "Things that went well" and the other part being "Better next time if." And now that I am thinking about it, maybe a third part for "Things to add or take away." However, as I started to make my list, I realized that my the few things that made it onto my "Better next time if" list are pretty trivial and insignificant. Bravo for someone who is trying to find the perfection in life's imperfections, right? Instead, it's so much more fun to focus on the things that went well! For example, one of the things I really try hard to do each year is to get my Christmas shopping done e-a-r-l-y. This year, the kids had their Christmas lists practically all done by Halloween which left me plenty of time to procure everything. By the time the kids were out on break, everything that had to do with buying, mailing, and wrapping was all done. That left us plenty of time to enjoy ourselves! Here are a few more holiday adventures to add to the ones mentioned earlier.

The kids were very excited about their camp out in the living room. The euphoria lasted until 3:00 a.m. when my son decided his sleeping bag is not nearly as comfortable as his bed.


Here is flag football in the park. Four families and a dog. Kids versus adults and let me say the kids had no trouble tackling the adults (yes, it was supposed to be flag). It may be hard to tell in the first picture, but there are 4 kids in that pile!


Here are the kids at a New Year's Eve party doing more of the same. Yes, more tackling.


We also had time for pony rides, an NBA game and a trip to the snow for some sledding. We feel very lucky being able to share our holidays with so many friends! Thank you!

P.S. Actually, I do have a "Better next time if." I came across the recipe for Cranberry Liqueur in Cooking Light magazine and agreed with them that it would make a fabulous holiday gift. The trouble was that after reading through the recipe, I realized that it needs to stand for 3 weeks! Definitely next year! Click here for the recipe.