My Joy

She is truly my joy.  At the sight of a camera, she smiles and gives off the most contagious inner happiness!

 

Daddy is at the computer explaining to me about Princess Sophia,

a Hispanic princess.

 

Wow, mommy is taking pictures!  You like my glasses-look?  (It's not real.  It's just mommy's old glasses.  Daddy took out the lense and let me play pretend.)

 

 

Interesting ...

 

 

Mommy is taking pictures again ... it's so hard to focus but mommy said just pretend she is not there. 

Fish at the Market

 

 

The day after the Aquarium, we walked by the fish market and there they were, unable to walk away from the fishes just taken out of the water. 

There are fishes we go look at in the Aquarium, and there are fishes we eat.  I think it must be a strange feeling to have to draw this critical difference for city kids - we need to protect but we need to eat them!

At the Aquarium with Old Friends

Despite Frankenstorm, we went about our day as normal.  The Aquarium was still open on Saturday. So we headed out after being invited.  Why not?!  It's better stimulated with all the fishes and friends than go home to fight over the legos or have to do homework. 

 

Do you se the fish tank behind me?  I am eating all the free candy at the Aquarium. 

 I love Halloween!

 

 

Look what you find in a pirate ship?

 

 

We are just throwing balls at this board to hit targets.  We missed most times but it was fun anyway!

Beating Lung Cancer for B

Today is an amazing day - fresh air and clear blue sky for the Breathe Deep Walk to Stop Lung Cancer.  It has been a while since I felt so good about being a part of a fight for something meaningful.  I guess because lung cancer, and cancer as a whole, has hit so close to home.  Today, we walked to stop lung cancer because a young and beautiful friend, "B", has gotten this terrible disease despite never having smoked.

We breathe deep for the joy of being able to do so.  We breathe deep for those who couldn't.  We did so today in celebration of an awareness that this particular type of cancer is in dire need of money for research.  

I hope you can join us next year!  Here are some photos:

Leave Drawings

The latest thing in art class was rolling a crayon horizontally on a white paper over leaves.  They loved it.  So they collected the falling leaves on the street and continued their creations at home.  I was inundated with leave drawings everyday last week, which I was instructed to bring to work and to post them on my office wall.  I had to yield to their pride and respond with absolute joy to those sparkling eyes waiting for the hug, kiss, and the, "Oh, thank you, my love!  It's the most amazing drawing I have ever seen!"  Well, they knew it was an exaggerated thank-you.  But they sure still want more of that.

The big leave!

Collecting more leaves to draw more pictures for mommy!

Creating from Loose Legos

After hundreds of dollars spent on legos sets that they could build from following several pages of instructions, we discovered that loose lego pieces offered a lot more room for creativity and excitement. They loved the loose pieces.  Ethan was not very happy with his jar of loose pieces, which did not offer as many colors or shapes.  Artimus was quite happy with hers but basically made what Ethan made with more color options.  Trade would have been in order, if Ethan was not so impatient with bargaining.  He just wanted what he wanted right away.  On the contrary, Artimus liked to take her time to think things over, which almost always ends with, "No, I don't want to trade," or "No, I don't want to share my legos."  So just imagine the frustration Ethan displayed, which turned into threats and later grab-and-run.

Despite the whining and heated moments, they still had lots of fun as bros and sis ... comparing their creation.

Me and my lego car.  

I created this lego truck.  I got six wheels.  Artimus only had four.  Yay!

Look at our creation!!!!  Thank you for thinking of us and getting us these incredible legos!!!

Reminders of Love

 

One morning, when I opened up my bag upon arriving at my office, sticking out was this blue card, full of hearts and butterflies ... and us!

 

 

I miss them so much on nights I don't have them. But just as I was turning off the lights to sleep one night, there stood these little hand-painted sculptures Artimus did just the week before.  They stood there by the lamp on my dresser, in such carefully thought out positions.  They just cheered me up and reminded me that she is always with me and thinking of me.

 

Do you feel the love?!  She knocks me off my feet everyday.

My Princesses

Aside from my pretty princess Artimus, there is also the cutest and littlest thing in the bigger family right now. 

She has the cutest cheeks ever!

Boo at the Zoo

Kids must be kids.  So we did the kids thing this past weekend at Boo at the Zoo ...

The magic show was good.  The haunted mansion was fun too ... but definitely scary for a 5 year old!

 

Janco Fett protecting Queen Amedela and Brave!

 

Boba Fett!

Queen Amedela!

the Cold ... Coughs ... and Fevers

Fall is here!  It announced its presence with Ethan getting sick and then infecting me.  I don't know why people say kids are weaker than adults.  Ethan didn't look that tired when he was sick.  On the other end, in two days he got bettter but I am now sick as sick can be - a throbbing headache and a tired body.  But for every meal there are dishes to wash.  And for every art exercise they engage in, there are stuff to clean up.  I am tired but I must still get up and get stuff cleaned and organized.  Or else, stuff begin to disappear or cannot be found.

I hope Artimus doesn't get sick from me.

I hope you stock up on those basic essentials that fight the germs that are flying about.

Taming the Wild?

These days, more than ever, taking deep breathes is necessary for surviving motherhood.  I often find myself huffing and puffing about my patience wearing thin with these two little wild things.  Yet, Artimus continues to be oblivious to my desire that she needs to finish her dinner, which are often untouched even after an hour.  She just doesn't like to eat.

Thank God they like sweets.  Two or three months ago, I learned how to make ice-cream and popsicles.  This is mainly because I can control the sugar level and what goes into these sweets.  So for now, Artimus would, at some reasonable point in time, finish her dinner because the strawberry popsicle is an after-meal treat.  Believe it or not, the popsicle is the only reason she eats the food.

Ethan is better now.  He doesn't like that I raise my voice so he tries to finish his dinner quickly so he can play.

When they fight, it's a different story.  At home, they can get physical.  Artimus has no perception that she is smaller and weaker so she is fierce as a little dog.  Most recently I realized she uses her magical tickling power which she knows Ethan is most afraid of.   Ethan has been yelled at enough times to not hurt Artimus.  So these days, he is the one running to me for help and tattle tell.

So the day goes ... refusal to eat breakfast ... refusal to eat dinner ... refusal to drink stuff, and fights.

I have to figure out a way to stop doing chores and start reading to them more so they find pleasure in reading and not with fighting over whatever they were playing with.  Perhaps, that's the way to tame these wild things.