Simple pleasures

My favorite simple pleasures:

1. slowly eating a big bowl of ice cream while reading a novel
2. watching Kevin read to kids
3. sinking into bed after a long day
4. getting a phone call from a friend
5. nabbing the closest parking spot
6. singing a favorite song in church
7. watching my kids sleep
8. a clean kitchen sink
9. a cool breeze when I’m sweaty
10. the feel of my kids' chubby hands when we walk together.

A Chapter a Day

Kevin and our oldest have this cute little tradition going that I just have to share about. He reads a book to her slowly, a chapter every day, with no pictures, while she listens intently until they're done. It takes them two or three weeks. Their first book was The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, and they just finished Charlie and the Chocolate Factory last week. After each one, they celebrated by watching the dvd. We loved the movie version of The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe, but the Willy Wonka movie with Johnny Depp was just strange. Guess I'm not a big fan of Tim Burton, and the movie had his stamp all over it. This next book they're going through doesn't have a movie, but it's a goodie anyway. It's a Ramona book by Beverly Cleary. After that, maybe Charlotte's Web. It has become a daily ritual: "Daddy, can you read me another chapter?" Kevin can never resist, and I love the sound and sight of them snuggled together reading. I'm hoping that the other kids will enjoy this too when they get older, even if it means Kevin reading the same books at least four times out loud.

It's times like these that I know I really lucked out in getting a great father for my kids. Not that I was thinking of that 13 years ago when we started dating. When you're that young, you're not thinking about parenthood. Thankfully, God knew what He was doing. He saw what I couldn't see 13 years and more into the future: that my kids would be getting the best possible dad in the world.

Marital spat

Today was a bad day because Kevin and I had a major argument. I know I'm not supposed to talk about these things. But tonight, it's bugging me that nobody talks about these things. When I was younger, like in high school and college, my girlfriends shared all kinds of stuff with me, like what kissing was like, and why they fought with their boyfriends. And then, once they got married, that was it, no more intimate discussions. All of a sudden, it was about protecting the husband, making him look good, which certainly meant no more talking about marital squabbles and sex. Wouldn't want to present him as a jerk in any way, I guess.

I got over this hangup awhile ago, while we were living with my parents. It was hard hiding Kevin's flaws while we all lived together. Besides, it totally gave him the upper hand, because all he had to do was act up a tiny bit in front of others, and I would give in. Eventually, I got sick of this and realized so what if people knew Kevin had jerkish tendencies. He was my husband, we were going to stick together, and tough luck if they didn't approve. After that, whenever he tried to get to me by acting up in front of others, I would just yell at him, "You want to do this right now?! Good, let's do it!" So that's no longer a problem.

I'm embarrrassed to go into the details of why we squabbled today because I don't want to look bad, but of course it started small and then got blown way out of proportion. I just can't believe one person has so much influence and power over me, that one person can determine whether I laugh or cry, whether I'm happy or depressed, that I can feel utterly worthless just from one thing he says. It sounds dysfunctional, but I think it must be normal, because we're pretty normal in general. Everybody's always waxing on about the wonders of love and marriage. Nobody ever tells you how sometimes it totally stinks to depend so much on one person and be so helpless.

We've made up. And we don't have major blow-outs like this very often. It seems to be somewhat cyclical. Sometimes, after a calm period, Kevin will say that it's time for another major spat. So after today, I guess we're good for another few months.

Random catch-up

Yikes it has been a long time. I was actually thinking about shutting this thing down. Is anyone still out there? Wouldn't blame you if you left.

I'm still waiting for Kevin to download or upload or whatever the pictures. We have even more pictures on the camera now because we went to Legoland this past weekend. It's a pretty good place for little kids, except the lines are the slowest I've waited in, and it's way overpriced. But the kids had fun, and that's what counts. When we came home, they were all really tired and cranky from skipping their nap. Made me think how crazy in love with our kids (or just plain crazy) we must be for dragging ourselves around all day in the horrible heat, only to put up with tantrum after tantrum when we got home. Still, it was all worth it at the end of the day, when they were lying in bed together and talking about all the things they had seen at Legoland: "Hey, did you see the giwaffe at Wegowand?"

Last weekend was also my first days back at teaching. I think some of them were surprised that such a humongously pregnant woman would be their teacher. But I reassured them, telling them that it was my 4th one, that there was nothing to worry about, no complications most likely. I also told them not to expect any extra absences because I would pop the baby out and then come right back.

Speaking of baby, I'm in my third semester now, 7 months along. I feel really big and cumbersome. Baby is very active, doing waves across my abdomen. I can't believe it's almost time. We still haven't thought of a name yet. We've been thinking about it but boy names are really hard. Last week, a student asked me if I assign extra credit work, and I thought about giving students extra credit for coming up with decent names. Would that be wrong?

Hi

I'm still here. Just don't have anything to say, I guess. We've been busy, too, getting stuff ready for the fall. Lots of things going on in the fall. Our girl starts kindergarten, our boy starts preschool, and of course baby boy is arriving. I know once the kids start school, our schedules will be a lot tighter, so I'm cramming in the activities now. We have piano, dance, soccer, and various arts and crafts classes.

We're also supposed to go on a few day trips like to the Fair, Legoland, or camping but I don't know if we can survive those places in this heat.

This past weekend, we went to my cousin's wedding. It was an outdoor wedding. All you single people out there: never plan an outdoor wedding for July. It was so scorching. The bride was pretty smart in her strapless gown but my cousin suffered (deservedly so) in his thick suit. It was great to see all the family, especially my seemingly long lost cousins. And because my cousin went to the same college as me, I also got to meet up with long lost college friends. Funny how people have changed and then not changed.

I'll try to post some pictures from the wedding. I haven't quite figured out how to download photos from the camera. Meanwhile, we're still here, just hiding out in our air conditioned home.

It's a Boy!

Most people are pretty happy that we're having a boy. Our parents think it's good that our son will have a boy playmate. They worry about him sometimes when he's copying his sister and smearing on makeup or wearing high heels. My sister is the only doubtful one. She asked,"Can you handle another boy?" She has a point; he is so much more rambunctious and rebellious than the others. Still, we are glad to have another boy. Kevin would have been happy either way, and I just find it amazing that we're actually having one at all. We are very blessed. Now if we could only come up with a decent name...

Speaking of boys, I don't know if I can handle a lifetime of boy injuries. Our boy had a major spill yesterday at the park. He fell off a ledge and pretty much landed on his face. Both knees were bleeding, and his face was a mess. He has scrapes on his forehead, chin, and one cheek; a bruise on the other cheek; and a big swollen eye. His sister could not bear to look at him. Luckily, he seems to be okay with his injuries. It just looks horrible. Today he's better and being his usual monkey self. I just hope that's the worst that ever happens to him.

Pregnancy #4

I'm waiting for the insurance authorization to come through to schedule the ultrasound, you know, the one that looks for the tell-tale weewee. We definitely want to know so that we can get ready. Since I gave away all my infant clothes, I have to know which friends to hit up for old clothes and also if I have to save girls’ or boys’ stuff. I was thinking about not finding out and being truly surprised for once, but Kevin gave me too many practical reasons. He reminded me that our oldest was a surprise because she was never in the right position during the ultrasounds. Still, we might keep it to ourselves, like how the celebrities do. Except for the friends I'm hitting up for clothes for and also the family members who would kill me if I didn't tell, of course.

I haven't even told everyone about the pregnancy yet, but here is a taste of the comments that I have gotten so far.

1. Are you guys Mormon?
2. Are you guys Catholic?
3. I can't believe you still do it.
4. You'll be so old when you finally retire.
5. You're crazy.

Gee, I can hardly wait to hear the comments once people see me actually lugging the 4 kids around.

Shopping extravaganza

What a weekend. Once again, we have to stay put for a day just to recover. My busy weekend started on Saturday, when I went out shopping all day long with my sisters and their girlfriend, kind of a girls' day out. It's been eons since we went out with no hubbies or kids. Of course, I had to horn in on their plans because historically, I haven't been their best shopping buddy. They made me promise not to mutter "crazy!" every time they looked at something expensive and nag over unnecessary purchases. I controlled myself pretty well, except towards the end, when Lynn was taking FOREVER to pick out her stuff, and I couldn't help letting out a bunch of "are you done yets?"

We shopped till the stores closed. We looked at clothes, underwear, makeup, sunglasses, everything. I mostly stuck to non-apparel stuff since I'm about to gain 30 pounds. I ended up with eyeliner and lipstick (so there Lorna). Lynn tried on every single lipstick color, even the ones you could tell were hideous, and then she moved on to try every single eyeliner color. The makeup lady must've been so tired of us, even though she was laughing at our sisterly comments. Afterwards, we all had dinner together, and by the time we got home, all the kids were asleep! It was worth it, though. We ended up with a ton of stuff, and it was just fun hanging out. Kudos to their friend Wendy because it wasn't easy hanging out with us sisters; we tend to get a little obnoxious around each other (they more than me, of course). Yeah, we gotta do it again soon, except we spent way too much money.

Meanwhile, I have to start getting ready for the baby and shop for a bunk bed. I don't suppose anyone wants to come with me?

Our little nurturer

I rarely get mad at my oldest daughter these days. She's a great helper who does almost everything you ask her to. When I get mad at my son for not helping to put away toys, she will say, "It's okay, Mommy, I can do it myself" because she doesn't want to see her brother get busted. She fetches diapers and wet wipes, washes her baby sister's hands before meals, puts the dinner plates on the table and puts them away afterwards.

Last night, while I was standing in their room, she came up to me, put her arms around me, and kissed my stomach. She said,"I love you, Baby. I hope you come out soon."

School's out

The semester is finally over. I gave my final exam yesterday and finished all my grading today. I actually agonized over a few grades. I wavered over two students who scored consistently low (really low) on all the exams but put a lot of effort into coming and listening. They hung in there, they tried hard, and they were very nice people. I debated giving them a C or a D. I rationalized the C grade pretty well: I was too hard on them this semester; community college is more like high school than real college; if I'm going to pass this other loser who never showed up, I should pass them too.

In the end, I decided to give them D's, which was already generous. From their exam grades and talking to them, I'm pretty sure neither of them learned a single coherent concept, only jumbled bits of different ones. I can't pass someone that clueless about biology. The clincher was realizing that they wouldn't have passed even in another easier class.

I'm sending them the message that effort sometimes is enough, but more often, you need the results to back up the effort. I hope next time they won't rely on sympathy and flattery but instead take action to come up with better study strategies. And I hate the bad rap that community colleges have, that they're easier and don't really equip students for 4-year colleges. I don't want my kids going to some watered down college (and they are all going to community colleges).

So the semester ends. It's been very educational for me. I've gained new insights into the public school system here from my high school students. I've learned more about people's goals and desires and how people are drawn to different groups. And I've learned that there are rats crawling around in the space above the ceiling.

Coincidentally, with the ending of school and my first trimester, my headaches and fatigue are much reduced. It's gonna be a great summer.

First Look

No wonder Tom Cruise bought his own ultrasound machine! Yesterday I had to do an ultrasound screening, and it was just what I needed to get excited about the baby. I completely forgot about the two extra years of poopy diapers, tantrums, etc while I watched the baby pick his/her eye and wiggle around. I'm looking forward to meeting him/her and have new resolve to take care of myself better.

I had to do the first trimester screening because of my "advanced maternal age." Well, I didn't have to. I could've chosen to do the amniocentesis later, but there's a chance of miscarriage that results from the procedure alone, which by the way is equal to my chance of having a Down syndrome baby (the chance of a miscarriage from the amnio is actually greater than the chance of a Down baby for younger moms). Yesterday's screening, called nuchal translucency ultrasound for any interested pregnant women, is much less invasive, with just an ultrasound and a blood test, and the results are 90% accurate.

I'm glad I did it because it was just what I needed. I am relieved to know that there's only one baby (the chance of twins also goes up with advanced maternal age) and that he/she is normal, with no chromosomal abnormalities. No news yet on boy or girl, but I'm just happy with the news that we do have.

Never say never

A few months back, I blogged that we were done having kids. I sold the saucer, gave away old clothing, gave away maternity clothes. So guess what happens. Oh yeah. In case you lost count, that would be number 4. By the way, no, we have nothing against birth control, and yes, we are insane.

That's why I've been in a stump lately. First because I was in denial (your shock is nothing compared to mine), and then because all the symptoms I never had for the other three pregnancies kicked in. So life has been a little chaotic, which I'm sure is just a teensy sampling of what's to come in early November.

This is my 12th week, about to enter my second trimester. I'm hoping that my fatigue and constant headache will be gone soon. The kids have gotten used to me passing out every few hours, and Kevin is finally getting the clue that just because the other three were relatively easy doesn't mean this one will be. In the meantime, we are starting to get everything ready for November, because it will take that long. Here we go again.

Killer midterm

My students bombed my midterm exam last week. They all complained it was hard, which I wouldn't have thought much of but then Kevin looked at it and thought it was very detailed for nonmajors, too. It's become hard for me to gauge which question is hard because they're all the same to me, although I do have a tiny idea, especially on my more tricky questions. When I'm choosing between two questions that cover the same concept, I inevitably choose the harder one. I have to curb that tendency.

My average was a 25 out of 50, so they got a very generous curve. I remember getting a 30/100 on a physics final once. I felt that I had gotten nothing right on the test, that I had failed the class. Turns out the 30 was a C grade. I was relieved, of course, but I also wondered what was the point of that physics class. The teacher had made it so hard that students like me either knew nothing but passed anyway or knew something but thought I knew nothing. I definitely don't want to be like that guy.

Only the final exam is left now. I always go easier on the final because the students have to deal with their other finals and also all the information from the beginning of the semester. Speaking of the semester, boy does it drag on. I think I prefer the quarter system. Here's a sampling of my tough questions:

1. What is the final electron acceptor of the noncyclic electron flow in photosynthesis?
a. H2O
b. NADP+
c. O2
d. ATP

2. In snapdragons, red flower is incompletely dominant with white. Straight leaf is dominant over curly leaf. If a pink plant with curly leaves is crossed with a white plant with homozygous straight leaves, what are the chances of producing a white, straight-leafed plant?
a. 1 out of 2
b. 3 out of 16
c. 3 out of 4
d. 1 out of 4

Did you get it right?

Blogger's Block

Here I am, sitting all by myself, with a free minute while the kids are playing nicely by themselves in their bedroom. It's eerily quiet, and I am fighting to suppress that urge to get up and check on them because I know once I do, I will discover that the two little ones have pooed in their diapers, that it's leaked all over their pants, and that they're beating up on each other. Every morning lately, they go take care of their "babies," their menagerie of stuffed animals. They line them up in the crib, feed them, and play mommy & daddy or something. Until daddy starts chasing and wrestling them. Then they all come running out screaming.

So I thought I should take this rare opportunity to catch up on my blog, because I must admit I have been very remiss in my blogging. I started this thing hoping to let interested people see what we're up to, but lately it's been nothing but other people's birthdays. Actually, you should be thankful that there were all these birthdays, because otherwise I probably wouldn't have blogged at all. I've been feeling...blah for awhile now. I used to be capable of decently humorous conversation but not anymore. These days, I sound and feel like the most boring person on the planet. This is what it must feel like to go senile.

Well, after two paragraphs, I still have nothing really to say, except that I'm still here, the kids are good, and life is busy. Ah, I just heard the first cry signalling the end of peacetime. And...here they come and so I must go. Till the next birthday, which is in May.

Poor Me

This past week when they were hanging out, my uncle told my parents that it was a shame that I had so many kids, that I was to be pitied. I get that reaction a lot from my relatives. Another uncle asks me every time he sees me why in the world I got my master's degree. The general concensus is that I am wasting my education (and therefore my entire life) by staying at home and changing poopy diapers.

I guess they think being a stay-at-home mother is the lowest of the low, something no one would do unless they had to, like if they had no education, no other opportunities, no birth control. One or two kids would have been acceptable for me so that I could get on with my career, if you call what I had before the kids a career.

Of course I get offended because my education is very valuable to me. Not necessarily in bringing in the dough (although it does a little bit) but in shaping who I am today. I've learned so many things from my college education I don't know where to begin. The best lessons I've learned are the non-book stuff. Like thanks to my master's research, I now have the good sense to doubt all those crazy research findings that seem to pop up every week. Plus, I met most of my best friends and husband in college. And I had fun growing into myself. I don't know how anyone can consider all that a waste.

As for raising kids, it's the best investment any way you look at it. Hopefully, by the end of these 18 years, I will have raised 3 productive adults who will not only benefit other people but whom I can mooch off of till I die (not just for money but also for rides and cantankerous demands). In the process, I get to learn worthwhile things for myself like how to be patient, how to be humble, and how to appreciate little things more.

But I won't be telling my uncles all this. I'll just accept their pity, misplaced though it is. Their pity means more sympathy and leniency with me which translates to more freebies, more food, more exceptions for me at family functions. Somehow I can live with that.

Sick again

Somethin's going around again. My baby girl's been running a temperature for the last two days. A regular cold or a small cut doesn't really phase me anymore, but a fever makes me worry like nothing else. Maybe it's because it can cause brain damage, as it did for my cousin a long time ago. Or maybe because nothing debilitates kids faster. They turn into lethargic little zombies within minutes and just slump there with ooze coming out of the eyes and nose. I know it must be really bad if they're not running around being mischievous.

My angel is okay for the next 3 hours thanks to medication but after it wears off, it'll start all over again. Even with the medication, though, she can't eat normal things because the fever's caused her to vomit and diarrhea. Poor baby. In the meantime, we are all spoiling her something awful. Even her brother knows not to mess with her. I just hope it goes away soon. And that it doesn't spread to the other two. That would be the worst.

TGIM

Thank goodness the weekend is over. For most, weekends are time of relaxation but not me. I started off the weekend teaching, and by the time I was done on Saturday afternoon, I came home and crashed in bed. Then I had to do some shopping, which I only do while Kevin's home to watch the kids because it's just too hard to lug 3 kids around. Sunday morning, we went to church, and then early in the evening I went out with a friend. After that, I had to meet up with the rest of the family at my in-laws' for dinner with a visiting aunt. For a homebody like me, that's a lot of activity. Which is why I'm so relieved it's Monday, when I can just rest at home with the kids. Since it's supposed to rain tomorrow, we'll probably stay in again. Thank goodness.

Questions for Hubby

Last time, I answered a series of questions. This time, Kevin gives his opinions...

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:30 a.m.
2. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
3. What is your favorite TV show? Teen Titans if it's still on
4. What did you have for breakfast? oatmeal
5. What is your favorite cuisine? all
6. What foods do you dislike? peas
7. Your favorite Potato chip? sweet potato chips
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Rebecca St. James
9. What kind of car do you drive? Nissan Maxima
10. Favorite sandwich? roast turkey with cranberry sauce
11. What characteristics do you despise? people who say without trying "i don't know how to do it"
12. What are your favorite clothes? cargo pants with hooded sweatshirt
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation,where WOULDN'T you go? Iraq
14. Where would you want to retire to? my private estate
15. Favorite time of day? early evening after work before dark when I take the kids to the park
16. Where were you born? London, England
17. What is your favorite sport to watch? Ultimate Fighting
18. Pepsi or Coke? Coke
19. Are you a morning person or night owl? night owl
20. What did you want to be when you were little? doctor, as brainwashed by my parents
21. What is your best childhood memory? None

I'm Back

Okay, wallowing time over. Not that it wasn't a lot of fun, but it's kinda difficult to do and still keep up with the laundry, diaper changes, and basically running a household. Kids are good that way; they force you to get on with things. Anyway, it's not as if I'm dying or something (I apologize if that's how it sounded). It ain't the end of the world.

Meanwhile, my stubborness is kicking in. It's one of my biggest faults but sometimes an asset. I'm determined not to let this latest development ruin all my good plans. I'm not one of those people who thrives on constant challenges, but every once in awhile, a good one is worth it.

Mindlessly Numb

I'm all blogged out for the time being. Just not sure what to blog about. I'm facing a major upheaval, and it's consumed all my thoughts and emotions lately. I vacillate between depression, anger, and acceptance. Hopefully the depression and anger part will wane while the acceptance will get stronger. I will reveal more later, when I have things under better control. For now, I am comforted by God's promises.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Teaching

Teaching is keeping me busier than I thought it would. There was a time before the kids were born, I could just walk into class and start rambling with only my overheads for prompts. But since then, the outline (and much of the information) has diffused out of my brain. It doesn't help that having babies kills brain cells. I'm not sure where that happens, maybe somewhere between pregnancy and waking up every two hours as a zombie. The end result is me spending lots of time reviewing old information and replanning my lectures, this time around power point images. This week, I have to talk about photosynthesis and respiration, which is one of the more difficult concepts, especially for nonmajors. It involves a lot of chemistry and memorization. I'm going to take it a little easy on them and not have them know every chemical in the pathway, but still, I'll be impressed if they manage to understand the electron transport system.

Around this time during the semester, my students start dropping like flies. These are the students who did badly the first exam and now realize the material just gets harder. This is why I never turn down students at the beginning, even if my class is jam-packed. I tell them not to worry, that lots of them will drop later on.

Basically, I have 4 types of students: smart & lazy; smart & hard-working; not-so-smart & lazy; and not-so-smart & hard-working (no one is really dumb). The not-so-smart & lazy eventually drop or get deserved F's. The smart ones usually do well, but I have to watch out for the smart & lazy ones because they tend to cheat and argue with me about points. I don't have to worry at all about the smart & hard-working ones. The last group, not-so-smart & hard-working, is probably my favorite group. They're there everytime, jotting down notes, asking me questions afterward, and then they still get low grades. I do anything to help these ones out, and it's very rewarding for both of us to see their grades improve. Usually, though, the improvement is not that drastic, maybe from a C to a B.

Overall, it's been great. I've learned that young people are still wonderful. I'm learning to budget my time better. Most of all, as I go over the details of the cell or DNA (and even photosynthesis & respiration), I can't help but marvel at the intricacy of God's creation. I defy any evolutionist to explain how cAMP came into existence. This, and all of science, is genius, God's pure genius.

Be like George

Being a Christian reminds me of that one Seinfeld episode where George decides to do the opposite of what he normally does and ends up getting a good job, a girl, everything. Because if we do the opposite of our natural tendencies, we would get the gift of holiness. So many things that we naturally do is just the exact opposite of what God would have us do. Instead of being laborers who come home, watch sports, and leave everything up to their wives, God wants men to be active leaders in their household. Instead of worrying about our children and trying to prevent any pain from coming to them, He wants us moms to relax and trust Him (our love for them is just a fraction of His love for them anyway). Instead of exacting revenge on the many wrongs done against us, we're supposed to show forgiveness and mercy towards those who wronged us. We want to hoard money; He wants us to give it all away.

Left to our own devices, we end up at polar opposites from God. Just like George who needed that head-poking reminder from Elaine to stick to doing the opposite, we need constant reminding that our way is not God's way (thank goodness considering what a mess we've made of the world with our way). It ain't easy, though. But most worthwhile things aren’t.

Questions

My friend sent me this series of questions in chain letter fashion. I'm supposed to answer them and email them to my friends so that you all can know me better. I was going to ignore her but then I ran out of questions to answer for my normal FAQ.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30. Half of the week, I wake up early because of appointments; half of the week I sleep in till about 8:30.
2. Diamonds or Pearls? Neither, but if I had to choose, diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
4. What is your favorite TV show? Right now, the Olympics.
5. What did you have for breakfast? Tea and toast.
6. What foods do you dislike? Anything that tastes like dirt, ie. beets, carp. I also despise lamb.
7. What is your favorite CD at the moment? When I'm not listening to kiddie music, Dido.
8. What kind of car do you drive? Toyota Sienna.
9. Favorite sandwich? Pastrami, egg.
10. What characteristics do you despise? Thanks to my students, cheating. Also, Hypocrisy.
11. What are your favorite clothes? Sweats, t-shirts, and shorts.
12. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where WOULDN'T you go? Texas
13. Favorite brand of clothing? Don't have one.
14. Where would you want to retire to? Wherever the kids are, unless they move to Texas
15. What is your favorite sport to watch? The only sport I watch is the Olympics.
16. Pepsi or Coke? Coke
17. Are you a morning person or night owl? Night owl (note time of blog entry).
18. Pedicure or Manicure? Neither. My feet and hands look good just the way they are.
19. What is your best childhood memory? Riding my bike around the neighborhood with my sisters and stopping to pet dogs or collect leaves/rocks/anything.
20. Favorite flower? tulips, calla lilies, blue hydrangea.
21. Favorite ice cream? strawberry and jamoca almond fudge.
22. Favorite fast food restaurant? Inn-n-out.
23. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Target, Barnes & Noble.
24. Bedtime? Whenever I conk out.
25. What is your favorite color? Fashion wise, it's navy blue. With everything else, it's light blue.
26. Favorite magazine? The Week and Parents.
27. Totally useless tidbit? I have 11 moles on my right arm
Well, that's it. Now you know what makes me tick.

Things I never imagined saying

1. Don't stick your finger in your poopoo (also peepee).

2. Don't eat your booger (also snot).
3. It's not a monster; it's your brother.
4. Your underwear is not a hat.
5. Come here so I can smell your butt.
6. Stop eating the dog food.
7. Your weewee is not a toy.
8. No more pouring sand in your diaper.
9. It's just sand in your hair, not lice.
10. No, I will not put lice in your hair.
11. Okay, you can have the rest of my ice cream.

Poop Happens

After pooping in his diaper today, my son stuck his finger in the diaper and then wiped it on the carpet. Of course, that's nothing compared to the time when his older sis was one and a piece of her poo fell out of her diaper. She stuck it in her mouth, but it must've tasted pretty bad (you think?) because she didn't eat it. There's nothing like parenthood to get rid of your squeamishness.

Oh, by the way, Happy Valentine's Day!

How They Mock Us

My oldest two have a new favorite game these days. One of them (let's say my daughter) will start by counting to some random number.

She: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven...SPANKING!
They both laugh hilariously.
He: one, two, three, four...SPANKING!
Both laugh hilariously again.
She: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven...SPANKING!
More hilarious laughter.
He (faster now): one two three four five six seven eight...SPANKING!
Rolling on the ground laughing.
She: one...SPANKING!

This goes on until they're tired of laughing. Even my youngest laughs because she likes to copy them. Well, at least they're united and not fighting like usual.

Another New Year

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone. Watch out, all my friends out there who are the same age as me (that would be 24), because it's supposed to be a bad luck year for us. How could Year of the Dog be bad luck for a Dog? Doesn't make much sense to me, either. Hope y'all have a good one.

A Perfect Sunday

I can't believe how busy I've been the last couple of weeks. Between major chores, entertaining, and catching up on my teaching stuff, I don't even have the time or energy to blog anymore. Thankfully, my to do list is shrinking although there's still quite a bit on it.

Today has been a good day. We had a nice filling breakfast before church, unlike our usual eat-on-the-way deal. And church was really good. The message was about generosity, which is something I feel strongly about, and it was well delivered. I was riveted the whole time. One saying that I really liked was "God does not give you more to raise your standard of living; he gives you more to raise your standard of giving." I'll have to remember that when we strike it rich.

After church, we came home and had a leisurely lunch, then played until naptime. During naptime, I was supposed to go work out, but my class was cancelled so I went to plan B which was getting the car's tires rotated and balanced (what - that's not everyone's plan B?). The weird thing was that if my exercise class had not been cancelled, the tire place would've been closed by the time I got there. I can't help but thank God for preventing certain tragedy from happening.

Since my class was cancelled, I also had time to go to the grocery store and browse through the latest Brangelina pictures. I wonder if they made some sort of pact with each other: you leave your wife for me, I'll have a natural child for you kind of thing. Anyway, besides the normal grocery stuff I had to get, I also bought my favorite ice cream for a mere 50 cents. The quart was on sale for 2.50, but I had a $1 off coupon, which got doubled, so that left only 50 cents I had to pay. While the money saved is negligible, the satisfaction is great!

By the time I got home, naptime was over, and we rounded the kids up for dinner out with our friends Andrew & Heena and their kids. The restaurant wasn't so eager to have us, I think, with our 5 kids. But we stuffed ourselves anyway and had a good time catching up. The kids, too, are becoming fast friends.

So that's pretty much it. Nothing individually outstanding, but all together, it was about as perfect as a day gets: worshipping and learning about God, relaxing and playing with the kids, doing a productive errand, getting something good for dirt cheap, and then communing with friends. Actually, the fact that I didn't have to exercise made the day that much better. Top all of those things off with a wind-down blog and a few minutes of reading, and it just doesn't get any better.

Back to Work

Today's FAQ is: are you ever going back to work?

Yes. As a matter of fact, I started today. Through a bizarre and sudden sequence of events, I found myself in front of a group of community college students again tonight. I'm only teaching one lecture and one lab, but the hours are good (evening and weekend) and the money is better. It's been 3 years since I last taught, and I was off to a rough start because for some reason the duplicating office, which was already closed, didn't photocopy my syllabus, and the self-copier was out of paper. And then on top of it, I had to ask one of my students if I was in the right class because the department head said he was going to switch my classroom and then ended up not doing it. Because I was hired on at the last minute, I only had the textbook but no CD images (apparently no one uses overheads anymore), so the students had to rely on my scribbles and scratches on the board. They must've thought I was clueless. Fortunately, teaching is like riding a bike, because as soon as I opened my mouth, words gushed out (common even when I'm not teaching). You know how I ramble on about nothing sometimes? Well, I'm lucky my ramblings were on topic tonight. Seemed to work okay, though, because only one student fell asleep, and he later came up to apologize and blame it on his medication.

Ah, but it was great to be back. The rush that I get up there, the funny but inquisitive questions they ask, and their look when they finally get something they've been taught so many times before, there's nothing like it.

By the way, Lorna, I found your twin. Her name is Angela and she sits in the second row in the middle aisle.

Happy New Year

I know, I know, making New Year's resolutions is so blase, but hey, I gotta ring in the New Year somehow. Since I can't drink because of the kids, and I certainly can't stay out till past midnight also because of the kids, this will have to do.

Kevin and I actually share resolutions because they are so similar and we work on them together anyway. They are:

1. be better children of God
2. be better parents
3. be better children, sister, brother of our families
4. be better friends to everyone
5. be better spouses
6. try new business/career ventures
7. be more healthy

Really, most of these are the same resolutions as from previous years, but the key word is better. The resolutions are the same, but hopefully the results will be different.

We are already looking forward to some upcoming events in the New Year. Kevin's brother, Kevin's childhood friend, and my cousin are all getting married this year. My oldest will be school age, her brother and sister will be potty-trained. One kid will hopefully learn to play piano and swim, another will hopefully learn to stop having temper tantrums, and the third will hopefully learn to talk and feed herself. We might take a couple of plane trips, and we might go sledding and camping. Before you know it, you'll be receiving our Christmas cards again describing these very activities!

We hope the New Year brings you lots of good stuff to look forward to, too. Happy New Year!