Go Steelers!

So what if the Steelers lost, at least we looked cute! Kidding. We spent half the game at Hooters in Melbourne, FL, with Uncle Mike. The kids kept themselves occupied with coloring books, Ryan and Uncle Mike were actually watching the game and I, well, I was wondering how a man in his mid-to-late 30s could possibly sport a camel toe in Wrangler jeans the way he could. It actually looked painful the way he was sitting and I know, from the looks I was getting from Ryan, that I was checking it out way too much. He was with a friend. I wish his friend would have told him to get new jeans. I don't have a picture. I wish I did. I'm sorry. But, you can enjoy the picture of me and my babies.

For those of you curious about where I got that shirt, visit www.shopona.com and tell Karly I sent ya. I don't get anything out of it, but maybe I will if I get her enough business! :) Hint, hint, Karly.

Rachael and Ryan's wedding

Most of you might know that I've been working on making wedding invitation suites, baby announcements, etc... This summer, I spent some time working on lots of paper products for my friend, Rachael's, wedding and the photos came out on her photographer's website. You can see glimpses of the program, placecards and menus from her special day here.

Congrats to Rachael and Ryan and thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding (even if it was over 1000 miles away!)

Should I be worried?

This morning, I saw Ronan lying down between the ottoman and the couch. Because he wasn't squatting, I knew he wasn't droppin' a deuce, so I just didn't think much of it. I started dishes, picked up some toys and realized he was making no noise. (Don't get freaked out.) I bent over to see what he was doing and there he was, undressing Riley's Barbie doll. When I startled him, asking what he was doing, he started giggling.

Immediately, I called Ryan, asking if it was something I had to worry about. Apparently, I don't. But still. He's a goof. No more Barbies for Ronan.

No Manual Included.

Over 7 years ago, Riley came home from the hospital with Ryan and I...and we had no idea what we were doing. She didn't come with a manual or instructions and I'm finding that even though I was able to figure out the eating, sleeping and pooping part of a baby's life, each day comes with struggles and celebrations that noone ever prepares you for.

I didn't have a game plan when I became a parent. I never went into parenthood thinking that I was going to tackle certain obstacles a particular way. I, along with Ryan, just hoped (and still do) that our kids grow up feeling nothing but love from us and stay grounded.

When Riley started walking, she would fall and get right back up again. If she didn't feel like walking, she's drag her chubby thighes across the floor by crawling. These days, she can clearly walk and run like a champ...and if you have seen the post about her hula hooping, you know she can do that pretty well too.

Bike riding. Totally different issue. I, momma, am not a pro bike rider. Does a human balancing on two thin wheels make any sense to me? Not really. BUT, I did learn when I was little. This summer, we challenged Riley (and ourselves) with the task of learning to ride her bike without her training wheels. Who would have thought that it was going to be such a daunting task?

I think it was probably more Ryan and I putting it off than Riley's non-motivation to learn in the beginning. I mean, how fun is it to bend over for long periods of time, holding on to the seat of her bike, keeping her propped up so she doesn't fall over? Not fun at.all. But, last night, I felt overcome with sadness as she sat on her bike, helmet buckled firmly on her head, with nowhere to go. She couldn't ride alone and didn't know where to begin.

I wasn't sure how to go about motivating her initially. I mean, these days, everyone is all about positive reinforcement, positive this, positive that. I get it. I understand that kids need praised and I'll be the first to cheer my child on for an accomplishment she or he has made. At the same time, when kids feel failure (or what they think failure is), some don't know how to deal with it because we've spent all this time praising them for everything and not addressing how to deal with life when it doesn't go as planned.

Riley fell off her bike about 2 times before she decided to give up. I looked at her and I wanna say I had some sort of anger in my eye and said that if she wants to quit, she'll never learn. I actually said, "Riley, you always quit when you can't do something and I'm over it. Get on the bike and ride it. Stop acting like you can't do anything."

Was it the right approach? Probably not in the books of therapists or guidance counselors. Did I call my child a quitter? Sort of. I wanted to light a fire under her ass and get her going. I've gotten to the point where I'm sick of her whining about not doing something when I know she's capable of just doing something.

She did it last night. She rode her bike...a few house-lengths before she would veer into the grass. But, she freaking did it. Tears filled my eyes and I felt a sense of accomplishment. Not just for her, but for me, too. I usually tell people I have no patience. It's the truth. But last night, I took my own advice of sucking it up and just doing it -- held on to Riley, focused on her...and there she went.

And yes, I'm totally patting myself on the back right now.

I'm on a roll, huh?!

I know, I know. I went for what, a couple weeks - not one blog post - and here I am today, knocking it out like homework for a 2nd grader the night before it's due!

Last night, Ronan and Riley were playing Wii Sports Resort. Ronan was actually doing well doing some sort of bicycle game. Why teach them all the letters of the alphabet, when you can just tell them to keep hitting the "A" button. Eventually, I think they will learn.
This morning, Uncle Mike took Ronan and I out to breakfast to Mimi's Cafe. (At the time, I was stressing about Tricare -- see previous post!) It was delish. I love their muffins. Ronan, loves the chocolate ON the pancakes. Not necessarily the pancake itself, but the chocolate.

And this next picture just tells you what I do every single night:

Pathetic that my 2-year-old stuffed toilet paper in his nostril and said to me his nose was 'wunny.' Can't wait to get my nose situation remedied.

Tricare, not so caring...

I hate hate hate to complain about healthcare. Why? Well, there are lots of people out there that don't have it and I feel extremely blessed to have it through Ryan's career with the Coast Guard. There are definitely things, though, that annoy the heck out of me and frankly, today...completely threw me into a tizzy. Yes, I said tizzy.

I'll start with the "TMI" part of this. I have a nasal polyp. Sounds gross, right? It is. It's freaking nasty and it has taken over my life for the past 7 (seven) weeks. I'm not going to post a picture of it because even the sight of it via webmd grosses me out. Basically, it's this lump of skin (which is what it looks like) or tissue that is blocking my left nostril.

If I pinched my right nostril, I would not be able to breath...that's how big this polyp is. (By the way, let me first start off by saying that I actually self-diagnosed myself with this weeks ago and went to my doctor and told her what I have. She agreed. This is where I have my moments where I should've been a doctor. Nevermind that I get grossed out easily...or that I got my information from webmd. LOL) Anyway, this nasal polyp blocks my breathing but the kicker isn't the lack of ability to breathe, it's the fact that my nose is constantly running. And I mean ALL DAY LONG. At night, I sport the sexy "small wad of tissue stuck in nose to prevent running" look. It's done wonders for my relationship with Ryan.

So here I am, 7 weeks into this, 2 visits to my primary care physician and a hopeful referral to an ENT. For today. At 3 p.m. Today. I get a phone call at 8:30 a.m. Today. From the ENT. No referral, honey. No appointment unless I want to pay out.of.pocket. Well, I am emotional. I cry, over everything.

I almost started crying. After phone call to here, there and everywhere...two hours later, I find out that I have no referral to an outside doctor and that I have to go on base. Fine...but why didn't you call to tell me? They said they have no correct number...however for every appointment, they call my cell phone. What.ever.

I appreciate that I have the healthcare to get me eventually over this nasal polyp (I hope.) BUT, why can't they just do it right the first time, so we don't have to go through all this crap?! I'm going to live with this for yet another week, at least, and although it's a non-emergency issue, it's still debilitating for me.

I'm just annoyed. And while Tricare positions themselves as the 'world's best healthcare for the world's best military,' it'd be nice if they could get all their ducks in a row so we don't end up spending more money going to the ER for things that could've been treated in a routine visit. Argh.

Torturing Uncle Mike

If you have ever had experience with new toys on a birthday or holiday, you know that most toys are bolted down with screws, wrapped with plastic ties, or taped down to the box so the toy doesn't get up and out on it's own and leave the store. We have spent hours opening toys for the kids and it's a big reason why I don't like to buy them anymore. Call me Scrooge, call me whatever. I like to think of myself as being smart because I avoid the hassle of opening gifts, AFTER they have already been opened!

Uncle Mike came to visit us and one of our first trips was to Wal-Mart, where he let the kids each pick out a toy. If you know Mike, you know this is a big deal. He's normally the one that gives savings bonds you can't cash until your kids retire. I'm not complaining. I'm just saying...

So, I gave him the opportunity to spoil the kids and in return, he had to open everything. Seeing him slightly frustrated was a tad bit amusing, but then I did jump in to help him out, as the kids started to get restless!

Thanks, Uncle Mike!!!! Can't wait for you to come back and visit us again!

Talk of the Night

At a Pampered Chef party last night, the most raved item of the night wasn't the pizza stone or the measuring cup that my friend, Christine, can't figure out...it was the ice cream dipper. Apparently, this bad boy has a liquid in the handle that is warming, so when you shake it up and head towards the 1/2 gallon of Breyer's Natural Vanilla with Vanilla Bean spreckles, it's supposed to scoop out like, "butta."

I haven't tried it yet, but I am thinking I need to order me one! What are your favorite Pampered Chef items out there? What can't you live without?

Long Overdue (and I'm not talking about pregnancy!)

I probably won't have pictures in this post for one main reason. I'm a bad Asian. Often times, I have been depended upon as the resident photographer but for some odd reason, I have just not had it dangling from my neck these past few weeks. I think I'm just going to chalk it up to pure laziness. Yeah, that's it.

So, in this post, I'll be providing you with mere text updates. If you don't feel like reading, call me and I'll read the post out loud to you. (I'm kidding...)

I. I've been busy volunteering on PTA. If you aren't a parent, then you probably don't know what it is, but let's just say I make things happen. And when I say things, I mean LOTS of things. I am the VP of Membership and my main job was to get parents, teachers, community members to join. I might not be successful with working out on a regular basis, or showering, but I think I was really good at this job. So far, we have a total of 321 members (a 72% increase from last year!) and each day, we get a couple more here and there. That says a couple things. Either parents are really interested in what's happening at their child's school OR, I'm really good at this job. I am going with the latter.

II. Ronan does this new thing and while I'm ecstatic he is speaking in sentences...he says "ah-bah-bah-bah" for no reason. And, he thinks it's funny. It started around the time of his Baptism when Rochelle and Steve came to visit. He will say, "I gotta tell you sumpin." Then one would answer, "what's up, Ronan?" And then his response would be "Ah-bah-bah-bah. I got chu!" What it means, I have no idea, but it makes him laugh and that's enough for me. Now, if only he would just pee in the potty. We'd have progress.

III. Riley sends us notes under the door. I know, you're thinking...how cute! But, it's not because she's trying to be cute, it's because she's upset. The other day, we had a note that said:

Do you like Ronan more than me? Please check 'yes' or 'no' (with sad and happy faces corresponding).

Does this make me a bad mom because I ran out into the livingroom giggling? I did respond with a note slid back under her door reassuring her we love them both the same. (Well, at least on most days!)

IV. The Pediatric Dentist Visit. Not so fun, I must say. Ronan 0, Riley 8. I'm talking cavities, people, not tattoos. It was absolutely devastating and it's all my fault. I'm not one to floss her teeth...well, I wasn't, until that night! BUT, the worst part was how the dentist and the staff made me feel about the number of cavities she had. I honestly thought I was going to have CYS knocking on my door that night. Riley was traumatized because she's heard horror stories from her fellow 7-year-old friends who've said that the dentist drills all the way to her brain, but whatever...let's just say she cried from the minute we left the office until an hour after we got home. And no, she didn't even have them filled yet! We're still talking about what we're going to do...but whatever it is, it's going to require lots of nitrous oxide and alcohol and probably some nitrous oxide for Riley too. Stay posted on this...

V. Toy Story Mania for the Wii is awesome. If you have a Wii, get it and play. It could entertain me for hours. But, I also have the brain mentality of a 6-year-old...so that would explain it.

I will put pictures in the next post, I promise. But, until then...know that we are all happy, healthy, and well, sweaty in this humid Florida heat.

My pack-pack momma...

It's the little things in life that seem to make Ronan happy. A tiny car... A tiny nugget... Or a tiny new backpack (or pack-pack) from Pa via the Fed Ex man in the big, white truck.
When he saw the pack-pack in the box, he pulled it out, as if he knew it was his. He asked what it was and when he realized it was, in fact, for him...he couldn't contain his excitement. We place the two Thomas the Train books inside and there he was, happily displaying his new bag, his new pack-pack for school.

He said two adorable things. 1. My show Why-wee (Riley) my pack-pack, momma? My show Why-wee?! and 2. I wub (love) it. I wub my pack-pack.

And because he's Asian and know what to do when the camera comes out...he struck a pose. What a ham. Hopefully that pack-pack will last another three freaking years, because I guess that's how long I'll have to wait before he'll be in school full-time. Thanks, December baby.

Fun with Family

Living in Florida, we've been quite fortunate to have the opportunity to spend some time with family. The weather happens to be a great incentive for family to come and visit us (thanks Jason & Courtney, Pa/Grandma/Aunt & Alin). But, lucky for us, we have even more family close enough that we can pretty much see them without having to book plane tickets or plan months in advance. You can't beat that!

Ryan's cousin lives not too far from us and invited us to meet up with them this past weekend at a resort they were staying at close by. You just can't pass up the chance to go swimming on a hot day and spend time with people you actually enjoy being around! Riley and Mikenna are second cousins and a year apart (Mikenna is younger, can you believe it?!)
They had a blast together , as did Ronan and Adin. Ronan doesn't ever really have the chance to hang out with boys here, so he was soaking up the rough-housing and expenditure of energy with his second cousin....

And of course, how can you forget precious Morgan...she's the baby in the group and such a happy baby!

It's not easy to get 5 kids to look up at a camera. But, you get the point...they are cute.

We ended our evening at Kobe Japanese Steakhouse, where Ryan's other cousin met up with us and had a great time watching the chef throw shrimp and make volcanoes while we stuffed ourselves so full, we had to be rolled out of the restaurant. Love me some of that white sauce they serve there....why oh why did Benihana Pittsburgh stop making that, I'll never know...

Thanks to Mike and Alana for a fun day!!!

Our Hula Hooping Queen

This video does Riley no justice because if you saw her in person, you would see how truly awesome she is at the hula hoop! I say this because in her first few attempts, she exhibited nothing but frustration and anger...but somehow, (sans the help of her uncoordinated parents -- don't even ask to see Ryan try and hula, it's a scene all in itself!) Riley taught herself how to do it.

Seeing her tonight, she barely moves her hips and I swear, it looks like the hula hoop is moving on its own!

Just so great to see Riley do something she enjoys doing and how well she actually does it! Hopefully this motivation and excitement continues to her studies of multiplication in the future! LOL.

Exhausted

...and how couldn't you be, when your day consists of playing, eating, playing and more playing...
Ronan loves his toys. He loves his cars and he loves playing with those cars. He played so hard that at around bedtime one night, in the middle of playing, he passed out...

And yes, those are pizzelles you see on the plate in front of him. He never did get the chance to eat them....

Happy "7 years from Retirement" Anniversary

13 years ago today, Ryan joined the Coast Guard. Happy Anniversary, Ry! So proud of you and appreciate everything you do for our family so that we have the life we do. Love you!

Size DOES Matter

...especially when it refers to the height of a 7-year-old AND a 2-year-old.

In a mere 20 days, Riley grew a 1/4 of an inch and Ronan shot up an entire inch. Insane.

Momma: Oh my gosh, Ronan, you grew one inch!

Ronan: My big momma?

Momma: Yes, Ronan, you are getting bigger.

Riley: How can he grow when he only eats chicken nuggets? He doesn't eat anything!

Momma: I have no idea, Riley. I'm surprised by it, too.

Riley: I'm going to eat nuggets tonight.

First Day of School: Big Time Second Grader!

A lot can happen between 1st and 2nd grade...or so I hear! Riley turned 7 in July and watched as nearly all of her friends lost teeth and more teeth...and more teeth. Riley, on the otherhand, hasn't lost ONE tooth. She still has all of her baby teeth...and it makes her sad. She checks all the time to see if any are loose -- but here she is a big 2nd grader with all her teeth. It'll happen though...(at least that's what we keep telling her!)

She told me after Rochelle's wedding that she wanted to wear her hair curly for the first day of school this year. So, for 4 months, that's all I heard. I bought her a curling iron and this morning, that's what I spent 25 minutes doing to her hair.
And as excited as Riley was to start her first day back at school, so was Ronan...mainly because he thought he was going to school too. Poor little guy. Although, I don't think he's too sad now because he has all my attention!

It was a beautiful day for the first day of school! Nice enough to walk -- but we didn't. I drove, all of 1 mile -- but I am chalking it up to the fact that I wanted Riley's curls to stay in tact. Yeah, yeah, humidity would have pulled those curls right out!

And here is my baby girl...mortified that I wanted to take her picture at her desk. It was her and two or thee other classmates in the room and when I said, "Riley, smile at me!" She looked at me quickly and mouthed, "no, momma, please!" It was quiet, but I got the message and snapped a couple pictures while I had the chance, kissed her and said my good-bye for the day. She's a big girl now...and it's just going so fast, I can't believe it.

Happy 1st day of SECOND GRADE, Riley! Love you, baby.

Life's A Beach

...especially when you live by one! We hit Coquina Beach this weekend for the day and it was B.E.A.U.tiful. The water was warm and clear and with just a few clouds in the sky, we spent hours enjoying the warm weather and free entertainment for the kids.
Can't wait to go back....

Uncle Mike

Recently, my younger brother and his girlfriend moved to the east side of Florida, as part of her career with the Air Force. Although it saddened my parents to see their youngest go, it was a welcome move for me, as I knew it would give my babies a chance to get to know their Uncle Mike so much better.

A couple weekends ago, we all decided to meet up at Sea World in Orlando (a halfway point for both of us) and we spent the day in the sweltering hot and then the terrential downpours that is Florida weather. It was a great time, though...and most importantly, the kids could not wait until they could see their Uncle Mike again.
Believe it or not, there was NOONE waiting to get their picture taken with the Polar Bear. I know. Crazy, right? Seriously, though...everytime you see fixtures like this in any theme park, there are always crowds of people waiting to have their kids' picture taken and they don't care if they are in the background of someone else's photo. This time around, we had no wait and we weren't rushed...until the Shamu Show let out and we could see the crowd rushing towards us.

This is my baby brother, Mike...whom Riley adores!!! He loves to thumb wrestle with her, tease her about going through all of her toys, but most of all, he enjoys playing with the kids and makes them feel like they are the only people in the room...

Here he is with his girlfriend, Jess. We were patiently waiting for the Shamu Show...which ended being canceled after we got to our seats an hour earlier. Thank you, lightning.

Ryan was happy we had a break, but I think he was about ready to pass out.

And then during the week, Mike came to Tampa to visit us and hang out. He took us out to dinner to Carrabbas Italian Grill...delish!

(They let you play with dough there...which, if you know my texture-freakout child, you know it's a big deal that he's touching it. He loved it.)

...And so did Riley, as you can tell by her hands! Thanks, Uncle Mike!!!!

Career Change, Please!

While everyone in high school was wanting to go to ivy league universities or party schools, I remember how badly I wanted to go to pastry school. I wanted to be a chef and make cakes. BUT, being that I was going to depend solely on mum and dad to pay for school, I reluctantly went to a local state college and passed over my dream. I didn't know any better. I was a lost soul in college and honestly had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I spent the first two years at the University of Pittsburgh "undecided" and galavanting in this dreamy life I had away from home.

Then reality set in. I had two more years to finish up school and I was without any direction or drive. I thought the answer was to transfer to a smaller university where I'd have more personal attention. I did. And racked up the college loans alright! (Sorry, Dad.) I had no idea what I wanted to do there, either. It was so bad that I switched majors at least a dozen times (in my head) and ended up losing an entire year of credits. I wanted to be a teacher, but was scared to mold young minds...nevermind that I have a fear of public speaking!

So there I ended up with a Bachelors in Communication (focusing more on public relations) and off I walked into the horizon with my diploma in one hand and my hair in the other...because let's be realistic, what the freak was I going to do with my life?!

Luckily, I quickly found a job (networking was a must!) and spent a year and a half in PR. I liked it, but it stressed me out. Then I got pregnant (with Riley) and decided to make a career change. What did I do? What any other Asian does when they aren't sure what else to do! Nails. [No offense to any nail techs...I love ya.]

And then moving with the Coast Guard, well, I dropped out of the beauty industry and focused on being a mom while doing other various things...but I still, to this day, wish I would have stuck with my first dream -- because who knows, maybe I'd STILL be doing it.

So where is this coming from you ask? I watch TV...answer your question? With shows like Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss, I can't help but wish that I was doing that and maybe, just maybe I'd be slightly successful in that field.

Oh well, what can ya do? Maybe once the kids are both in school and I have the itch again, Ryan will support me and let me go back to try it out!!! Until then, I'll just eat cakes instead!

Happy Anniversary (1-day-late posting...)

8 years ago yesterday, I was at my brother-in-law, Jason's wedding...I didn't know that in these short 8 years, his wife would become one of my BFF's AND, that Jason, Courtney and their kids would be one of the few people to stick by us through thick, thin and, well...the ugly.

Jason and Courtney have always, always, always been there for us. They stayed with us when they came to visit Pittsburgh and when we moved to San Diego, they promised they would see us -- and they kept that promise. They've even come to see us here in Florida! (But why wouldn't you want to come here and go to see Mickey Mouse, right?!) Ryan and I love them so much and we wish them a Happy Anniversary (yes, I swear, I called them yesterday, too!) and are looking forward to at least 50 more! Old and wrinkly they will be, but I'll still love them!