All Caleb Wants for Christmas 2009 Is.....

Yup, that's what our little Caleb would like for Christmas....his One Front Tooth! Apparently, while I was breathing methodically during Wii Yoga yesterday, a bloodcurling, "Owwww!" broke the silence. I rushed to the crime scene and saw a piano chair turned over, big bro on the floor crying, and little sister running for cover. Sis had decided to push the piano chair onto her unsuspecting brother's face. (Note: See 2/6/09 blog entry to see piano chair and kids running frantically around it. Sooner or later this catastrophe would happen, I suppose.)

Poor boy had bleeding, wiggly front tooth and we iced it up and called our friend Tony, an orthodontist, and his wife Marian. They suggested we go to an acquaintance of his, our neighborhood pediatric dentistry. It'll be a new dental clinic we're visiting, but I think it's good to have one near home, in case of sports emergency or sister attack in the future.

Can you see Caleb's X-ray below? The X-ray was posted onto their computer in 5 minutes! This wiggly baby tooth would soon be replaced by the budding adult tooth anyways, so we'll just wait! Caleb enjoyed "Nemo" videogame so much and didn't realize he was being examined! Ha!

I'm so thankful that there's no permanent damage to his tooth, and that no root canal was needed. We drove one block down the street to celebrate with yummy "Swirlz" frozen yogurt! Whew! What a wonderful day! Last night when we prayed for Caleb's injury, Abbie insisted that, "It jus an acciden, mama, acciden!" Thank God for friends, prayers, and a close call!

Happy Valentine's Day, Dears!

RAGGED, PLUCKED VALENTINE BIRD !

How was everyone's Valentine's Day? Ours was the typical Saturday morning madness. I woke up to find my sweet 9 yr old biting off all his tail and wing feathers! So Abbie and I took him to the bird shop to have a lookover and a nail trim. Maybe the economy is depressing him too! Bird food went up $3, from $13 to a whopping $16 a bag, per bird!



Yesterday I had asked hubby for a special Valentine Getaway... and he oked it! So I went to see "The Confessions of a Shopaholic" by myself on today at Kaleidoscope Cinema! I saw the review and it said it had a good message at the end of the movie, so I gave it a try!

In the past years, I saw a series of the Shopaholic novels lined up at Border's Bookstore too! It's funny and lighthearted, and I think in a way, that's how our economy got into this whole mess. If we read the papers, we'll agree that even our government has "spend-a-holic" tendencies, and we may be borrowing our way into bankruptcy!

Like the girl in the movie says, "Acquring these things gives me a high....but then I feel bad again, and I have to do it again to feel good...". It is so true, as the Good Book says, "Godliness with Contentment is great gain", and that's a High that will last until eternity!


In the meantime, hubby & kids are at home! The boys made their special tea boiled eggs! Yum!

The Fruit of My Labors!

A Berry pleasant Surprise!

I've never been a green thumber, and even cactuses can't survive my nurturing. I'm glad I don't live in the olden days, where people plant and harvest their own produce. If we did, I would starve my family! ^_^ Three weeks after our return from Taiwan, I noticed that we had 5 beautiful, plump, green straw"babies"!

I decided to take weekly pictures to see how they do under my TLC, and I figured it won't be so hard. After all, I raised 2 kids (well, 3 if you count hubby), right? This is Chinese New Year week, the berries look happy & healthy!

This is Groundhog week, I was very unpleasantly surprised that my batch of babies decreased by one! Somebody ate one of them!! I guess sometimes in life, we would run into unexpected losses, though we've tried our best. I was disappointed, but I have to keep trying. But wht do I do?

I know! Let's wrap 'em up and the darn birdies or creatures will be able to see but not taste them, hahaha!

Three days later: The berries are still here after my 'wrapping ceremony' ! A few more days and we harvest!


Today is E(at) day! I'm so happy that I saran-wrapped up the berries because the past few days it had been raining cats and dogs! It poured! So the berries have to be harvested today otherwise it will rot from soaking in the rain. The berries look great! Yeay we did it! This waiting game took about 5.5 weeks.

I guess it takes time, patience, TLC and accepting the unexpected when it comes to everything. Like strawberries, let's "Hang in there" whether it's our relationships, parenting, finishing school, careers, recuperating from sickness, ministry challenges, or waiting out the slumping economy. In His time, God will help us ripen and sweeten the fruits of our labors!

My in-home food taster tried the berries, and here's her professional opinion ~ Apparently, I'm not only a brown thumb, but a sour thumb too!


The sky leaked and it poured and even hailed (~ice everywhere~) after I harvested the 4 strawberries today! This is a rare sight to behold. We've never had this much rain for a year and a half!

Wow! Boys and Girls are So Different!

I just noticed how differently boys and girls play! Here we have a "Big bro initiated chase-me-down" game. Big bro often asks sister, "C'mon! Let's fight!" to which sister replies, "No! Mommy says we can't fight!"


Yesterday I caught Abbie entertaining herself by reading to her diaper-bound 'student'! She's imitating her teacher during circle time! So quiet, so serene! [Actually, I'm not too fond of the screaming...which girls are notorious known for. Yikes!]


No wonder this time around, it felt less tiring being home with #2! I guess I'm not doing as much "chasing 'round" as I did with #1! Good luck, parents! The days will fly by (in retrospect)! ~(^_^)~ And during the days you feel like you can't make it, just call me or come over and play Wii Fit with me!

This is so hilarious, I caught her and her 'student' again, doing P&W (Praise and Worship). Daddy says she's gone bonkers (or Koo koo)! (^_^_

P.S. Also in a rare moment yesterday, I found Caleb doing this! That's the first worship song he learned and his first experience at piano 'pedaling'! I sneaked up on him and took this video. What a relaxing song on a rainy, wet, stormy afternoon!
This weather is very rare for us Californians indeed!