leave it to the professionals

armed w/Pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough and a simple royal icing recipe, i thought i would bake some xmas cookies with the girls, in hopes they'll have some memories of baking w/mom, if once a year. i'm not a baker and have even made a hobby of sampling all the bakeries in town

(if you have a favorite let me know).

i rolled and the girls helped pat and shape/cut their dough. eric even did a couple of free-hand animals and tigger. i can see why moms get into this.

here they are out fm the oven. and folks that's why i leave it to the professionals. even decorated, they still looked like blobs, but with color.

they were actually quite yummy-- chewy with crispy edges and not too sweet or buttery. go premade dough. the girls enjoying the final product (vienna likes to eat her cookie face on).

xmas photo shoot '08

we take professional pics once a year at xmas time. really, the only professional pics not counting the girls' school pics.

love love the magic of christmas, but i always feel extra stuffed fm all the turkey gobbling---not optimal for picture taking. the girls did great, we were able to get tons of shots lasting over 1 1/2 hr--- maybe we should call the child modeling agency hahhaha. our photographer friend comes to us, which makes it awhole lotta easier.

here's this year's photo shoot, the best of the crop shots. can you tell i love props (and outfits).

What I'm Thankful For

dressed to go to the Vu family thanksgiving dinner. 3 lollipops, 3 takes and way too many 'say cheese' and still only a half smile from Vienna. Crazy, big grins fm Laurel, candy bribes always works with her.

i've been under the weather recently, and havent posted weekly as I usually do, so the next entry should be a doozy with all their toddler updates.

hope you have just as much to be thankful for as i do. happy thanksgiving!

Presenting the tortoise and the hare

Happy Halloween!

The day started with a h-ween parade at the girls' school. they made their very own bunny costumes, from the pink ears to the bobby tails. there were also bats and pumpkins. it was loud and fun (except for when laurel sees momma, she gets super clingy---i should have gone in costume incognito!). but that's ok, momma loves h-ween and the kids were so darn cute.

Then the tortoise and hare raced off to gramma Vu's house for our very first treats.

Then we headed out EARLY to Fair Oaks church's trunk or treat with gramma D---we learned our lesson last year. After a 15 wait to get in, and 15min of treating, we had two full pumpkins--- who needs blocks and blocks of sidewalks with a parking lot full of candy! Leaving us plenty of time for rides, a haunted house, car show and some eats. We didnt stay for the fireworks, but it was already a full night.

We also ran into my gf, monique & her family. her hubs was showing his company's car, the scion speedster.

Here's a video of our chock-full-of- fun treats day:

School Events

field trip to the pumpkin patch. the yellow bandannas were to keep track of all the HMCDS kids. and our group was one of the smallest by far. there were bus loads of kids-- like a convention for little people. the girls rode on their first bus. momma realizes buses are prob the safest mode of transport, but the 5pt harness on the bus still helped.

HMCDS nature event with crafts, a trek to the creek to scoop tadpoles, sagvenger hunt and bonfire. we didnt stay late enough to make smores or camp out. the girls did wolf down some roasted hotdogs by the communal fire-- do they always eat like this at school lunches? is it just momma they wont eat for?!

the great depression

is what eric is calling it. suzy orman (per the oprah show) advises at least 8 months of savings, cause that's how long it might take to find another job. the financial powers are forecasting it will take 10yrs for the economy to turn around(!!!)

it's not sexy, but frugality is in.

i listened to a segment on NPR that other day, they interviewed ppl in their 80s who lived thru the 30s depression. they remember how the 20s was an era of parties and excess before the stock market crashed. to them it feels like the same bad cycle. today we've become a throw-away society, always wanting new, bigger and designer-- regardless if we can afford!

what's wrong with an older but functionality deck, or EUC (excellent used condition in ebay lingo) kids clothing and toys; or original but presentable wood floods. yup, that's our house and that's what the kids get. and the peace of mind we get, by not being in the hole.

we do splurge on family trips, parties, extracurricular activities/classes for the girls,,, cause life is about experiences, not things.

but my dear hubs wants to tighten the money belt even further. DIY haircut:



savings $12/mo. the word jagged comes to mind (-:
(the gunk on their chest is vicks vapor rub, since preschool = cesspool of germs)

his next target, netflix. savings $200/yr. thanks goodness, tivo is paid for!

Greetings fm Florida!

we had a GREAT time, highly recommend tampa for younger kids, who aren't ready for disney yet. with busch gardens africa, lawry's interactive zoo, florida aquarium and the hotel pool -- we never made it to the beach! some of the top highlights: riding a camel, feeding a giraffe and have its purple tongue lick your hand and seeing a real-life hippo!

going off season is a huge plus (we are an anti-crowds family). absolutely no lines, it felt like we had the whole park to ourselves. the girls loved the dinosaur carousel, and they were able to ride it over and over again w/out getting off.

we end up not needing to rent a car. next to the hotel, there were restaurants and a cvs w/in walking distance-- for the girls' pedisure run. the shuttle fm best western to busch gardens ran only twice daily. which was fine, since right after lunch, the girls would nap in their (inclined) stroller for about an hour (a full stomach combined with the riding motion= dreamland), then we were off again. who would have thought we could spend 14hrs at busch gardens africa. we only had to cab a ride to the zoo; and the aquarium was on the way to the airport.

after this trip, we cant wait until the girls turn 5--- so we can experience the wonder of disney and all its parks. eric has a co-worker who goes every year, he got hooked as a child-- now i think i know why-- afterall, it is 'the happiest place on earth'. Happy Anniversary baby!

School Time

pics fm the girls' first day of preschool (photo op) and class picture day.

the girls are going 2 days a week, for four hours each. it's a play-based philosophy, so the girls have a lot of fun with their new friends! they've already bought home tons of art work. the school is on a 5 acre farm, so they have pet bunnies, hamsters, chickens, goats and a couple of (older) horses-- for riding in the summer!

we started out w/a transitional week, where i would be with them each day, but then less and less. on the day they were on their own, laurel cried, but was fine w/in minutes (i snuck around back & peeked in the window---she was snug in ms.brownlyn's arms--- who coincidental is shaped like our nanny, maria :-)

even now, they're alittle shy at drop off, but then dive right into the activity. it was hard leaving them at first, they seemed so lost, but when they come home happy and chatty about their 'black and white bunnies', their 'two' friends--- i know it's good for them. and they're learning every class, our nanny is a good care-giver, but she's not a teacher and either am i. it's amazing how advance kids are now, give them the right tools and opportunities, they'll take off!

PS, i was nervous of the girls regressing w/potty training-- esp since they had to graduate immediately to the BIG potty--- but they did wonderfully. i always made sure they went at drop off and pick up, so they were comfortable w/momma there. it also helped there are two other little girls potty-trained (out of a class of 10). now at home, they fight for who gets to go on the big potty first! sometimes peer pressure is good (-:

Ode to Summer

summer, how we love thee. as we head out to school, fall festivals, pumpkin patches and jacket weather, we must bid farewell to thee.

our montage to summer, thou we'll see you again soon, if briefly in FLA (busch gardens africa!) in a few wks!

oh summer, how we loved thee.

We all have our quirks

take stuff animals, one likes to hoard them before and after naps, even at potty stops (how many can you count?)



the other lines them up for display (except for good 'ole lucky tigger-- he's not for sale)

Hot September Days

we havent shut down our pool yet, good thing too, since it's been steamy hot out! after some wading, the girls caught a... no, not a fish, but a...

Happy Hump Day!

Memory Prints

their first (teeny tiny) footprints were courtesy of the hospital on paper. to continue the tradition, here are:

their 1st xmas ornaments (6mos) in polymer clay




at 1 year. a bday gift to mudpies keepsakes fm my sister. beautifully captured in ceramic.



at 2yrs, in cement as stepping stones for the garden

i also get these memory boxes to store their first xmas dresses, their baptism candles, first tu-tus, so on--- if they have daughters, it can be passed down to them to enjoy and reminisce.

and one day, (what's left of) pooh & tigger will also go in the box. momma's sad just thinkin about it-- they grow up way too fast.

Not Taking it Easy on a Sunday

Started with cousin, Ella's baptism. Such a sweet, good-natured baby---look at those squeezable, soft cheeks-- just want to gobble up her baby fat rolls.

a quick nap, then off to an asian fesitval in reston w/aunt louise, where we bumped into little ethan. we also watched a martial arts show and philipino stick dance; and there were every asian cuisine imagined lining the walkways-- i wondered it this is what the streets of asia felt like-- it was that intense.

during the dragon dance, vienna kept sayin 'big doggie'; and laurel was entranced until they got too close, and breathing down her back.

today we started with church, but every night we end w/prayers, g'nite and AMEN!

VivaVienna

she wears it well, no?
(thanks gramma Vu for the bday dress-up clothes)


and is a multi-tasker:
(thanks katie, uncle khanh & uncle dwight for the bday cash/gift cards= fun toys below)

Our Money Corner

I'm not a big believer in feng shui, an old chinese philosophy on home design, but i do like some of the 'common sense' approach, like good flow, elements of cleansing water, minimal house stress, ie busy streets, blaring headlights, etc.

but we are fans of 'living with ed', one of the first tv shows on being consciously green before it became a trend. on one of the episodes, rachelle consults a feng sui master to:

'Feng Shui means wind and water; it’s part science, part art and it’s over four thousand years old. Rachelle has Master Yau come over to help get the energy flow of their home at an optimal level to where their prosperity, love life and health are all in good harmony.'

He introduces them to the money corner, the home's financial power spot which is at the most southeast corner of the home. Above is a picture of our new money corner--- holding coins, colors of green and purple and a lucky bamboo plant---to bring in wealth and prosperity.

today, we got excellent news. our rented condo, which has a small ceiling leak (for over 2yrs with numerous fixes and complaints) may be finally done & over! new owners have moved in above and totally gutted the bathroom. good-bye leaky headache!

coincidence? or feng sui at work?

Mid-Summer Vacation

pics fm our OBX vacation, lots lots of beach, pool and lake fun. perfect weather, it rained for only 1/2 day while we were there.

there were bloopers and troopers. eric bruised his heel badly, the diagnosis isnt in yet, but it might be a cracked ankle. it happened on our first full day there---saturday was spent driving down which use to take only 5 1/2 hours now takes 7+ hrs-- gas prices obviously didnt scare the crowds away.
mr.acrobatics dives in for a frisbee on the shallow end in the pool, shallow as in 4ft. no comments please.
fortunately, he was able to borrow eric w.'s crutches, who also had a foot injury from a frisbee accident! CRAZY i know.

moving on to our trooper, lindsey. she went from screaming mad to (dare i say it) liking the water. yeaaaah lindsey!

and thou it was good family fun, vacationing w/kids is far from total r&r. we realized this w/our first trip to bermuda--- it wouldn't be the same, at least not for a few good years.

with eight kids under one roof (six under four yrs), there was a lot of crying, whining and skirmishes.
poor laurel didnt sleep well in her cot, tossing and turning all night and teething with three new buds-- she was a complete miserable mess towards the end of the trip--and made sure we all knew it, esp han & eric who slept direcly underneath us.

kids, the younger, the more unpredictable-- and only those with kids fully understand this. believe me, even w/my own kids, the fighting noise level still drives me bonkers. wouldnt blame the non-kids couples if they opted out next year---we subject ourselves to it because we have to (-:
but it beats sitting at home, twiddling our thumbs -- so it's all worth it.