We’re Back!

Someone pointed out that I haven’t published an entry on this blog in a long time! When I checked the date of my last post, I was shocked! I was gone thatlong?

Anyway, Daniel turned two last month and we celebrated it with my husband’s relatives. As opposed to the grand celebration that we had during Daniel’s first birthday, we had a simple one this time. The birthday boy blew his candles without help (well with some coaching from daddy) and clapped his hands while our relatives looked over.

Daniel’s is a big boy now. He’s also very smart and knows words such as ‘infinity’ and ’scrumptious’, can count in seven languages, can memorize his alphabet and numbers up to 50, can identify the things around him, knows the president and the secretary of state, and is a big fan of American Idol! He’s also semi-retired from watching Brainy Baby and Baby Einstein– his favorite shows now are Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues and Go Diego, Go!

We often check out some kid-friendly locations in the Bay Area for our active toddler. Here’s a recent photo taken at SadieDey cafe in Oakland.

Elmo is going Trick or Treat

One of the things that I had to accomplish last weekend was shop for that perfect Halloween costume for Daniel. I know it was a bit late to buy one but we didn’t have any luck choosing something that we like for him two weeks ago. My last resort was to buy one online but I was hoping to get one from nearby stores.

I crossed my fingers as we entered Target hoping I could find a nice costume in his size: 3T – 4T. Luckily, as I perused the Halloween section, I found a cute Elmo attire that looked perfect for my toddler. And, lo, the size is 3T- 4T!

I quickly pulled the item from the rack, looked at the model wearing the costume to see what it looks like when worn, and placed it against Daniel’s chest and back to see if the color red complements his complexion. Then I checked the hem, zipper, and sleeves just to make sure it has no hidden defects. Lastly, I asked myself: would Daniel like this? He doesn’t really like wearing caps and hoodies unless he sees someone else wearing the same. What the heck, mommy and daddy will wear hoodies if they have to — this Elmo costume is really cute and adorable, I bet you he’ll get extra candies when he goes Trick or Treat in little costume. Plus, I can’t wait to take photos him wearing this outfit.

I felt a sigh of relief when I finally placed it in my cart. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to pick something that will look good on my son. (I don’t want him to wear Yoda, which was the only alternative available.) Good thing I didn’t run out of good luck and Daniel will definitely have a blast! It will be his first Trick or Treat, after all.

A Day in Sausalito

Enjoying the fountain

We recently took Daniel to Sausalito along with my in-laws and my husband’s uncle and aunt from Tulsa. From the time we left off Embarcadero on a ferry to Sausalito to our way back home late in the afternoon, he didn’t cry once. Yes, not even once! My husband’s aunt and uncle were very impressed. They said they’ve never seen any toddler as patient as Daniel. I couldn’t agree more!

Surrounded by beautiful flowers

I thought he did a pretty great job traveling with a bunch of adults: he enjoyed sightseeing, danced to street music, pointed at whatever caught his attention, and asked for milk or water if he needed it. I’m so proud of my son! For sure, there will be many road trips with him to come.

Dreaming of Christmas

Laundry day

Once a week, we go to the laundromat for the big loads: bed sheets, towels, rugs, and for some junk food from the nearby convenient store. Daniel goes with us all the time. He’s fascinated by swirling machines that he taps on them one by one as if to say, hurry up!

Doing laundry is a family affair for us: we not only get to spend time with each other, we also get fresh and clean laundry in an hour or so.

The Cake Lover

Well, not really. Daniel just likes cake decorations like most kids go. We didn’t order one. As far as enjoying it, yes he can but on special occasions only.

Blogging from my iPhone.

Learning my lesson the hard way

It was totally my fault: I was remiss in putting my iPhone on the bedside table just below the lampshade. Daniel woke up one morning and decided it was fun to pour his milk on every visible hole of the phone. (He also tinkered with my 17″ Macbook Pro and successfully pulled out the Right key—now I cannot figure out how to put it back!) Imagine my horror when I saw my phone swimming in white liquid, totally drenched, and not working! On the other hand, my son was grinning beside me, as if to say, you like it Mom?

That’s not funny, Daniel.

So I was away from the mobile universe for more than a week. Fortunately, I only had 11 contacts in my phone book so I didn’t really miss anything major. (I was just building my contact list and reconnecting with friends.) Besides, they all have my e-mail. [Click here to read more about this entry...]

Thank God for Brainy Baby!

I can almost hear all moms (those who bought them, anyway) reply in a resounding chorus, “I know what you mean!” their eyes widen with certainty. They say it as if I just brilliantly articulated what exactly they have in mind.

If you’re a mom who thoughtfully or impulsively bought these DVD sets, you can totally relate: Brainy Baby [and Baby Einstein] videos are absolutely the best when it comes to soothing tantrums and keeping toddlers entertained. These miracle disks that often go in colorful cases are little savers for me. I mean, seriously, what will I do if the geniuses behind these amazing videos hadn’t thought of them in the first place? But, isn’t why I called them geniuses in the first place, because they actually thought of them?

I don’t know. I haven’t figured what I’ll do, really. I’ll probably spend the entire day playing Itsy Bitsy Spider with Daniel or singing Old McDonald Had a Farm, Ee I Ee I Ooo, while trying to think of what to feed him or trying to cook up a trip somewhere that will allow him to explore and appreciate his surroundings, or thinking which playgroup I should join next week. I would have been too enervated and tired to think of going to Betty’s nail salon for a quick pedi with salt scrub. Oh no, I’m going to miss Betty and her girly salon with pastel and glittery O.P.I. nail polish collection—one of the best nail salons in the Bay Area, I must say. If I can’t go to Betty’s, I’m going to have ingrown in all of my toenails they’d hurt so bad I won’t be able to walk! Then if I see her again, she’d be horrified and say, “Oohhh I teenk you need to go to the hospitaaal. You need an operayshun. Dis is really baaad” Then she’ll have this ‘I’m Scared For You’ look on her face that will eventually melt into ‘Gosh, What a Poor Girl’ look. And then, of course, the procedure will cause and arm and a leg (literally) because the insurance policy doesn’t cover it. Then I’ll spend days and nights at the hospital because it was that bad and I won’t be able to work. Then we’ll lose all our clients because they will become impatient and antsy. Then we won’t have any money to buy anything, we’ll be so poor we’ll collect leftover food and dollar change along downtown San Francisco, or maybe pretend to strum a guitar or play an accordion and wait for people to give us coins while battling the cold. But then I won’t be able to travel that far to San Francisco. My feet hurt, remember? [Click here to read more about this entry...]