Halloween

Someone's getting older and isn't so enchanted with dressing up for Halloween anymore which makes me a bit sad. But looking back, he was never really into wearing costumes. I remember when he was about four years old, he used to run around the house with his plastic swords and bow and arrows inside the back of his shirts. Ask him what he wanted to wear for Halloween though and the answer was always, "I don't know." Was this his last year for trick-or-treating? I guess I have to stop thinking of him as a little boy now?

She really shines in whatever she wears. I was extremely happy that she agreed with me to not wear a princess costume for the 4th year in a row! Plus, this is totally her. She loves ladybugs. Every spring when they suddenly appear she gets so excited when we find them in our garden.

I think they had a good time trick-or-treating this year. We were at CH and spent about 30 minutes roaming the streets. I'm glad my kids aren't crazy wanting to have their buckets filled to the brim with candy. It was just enough.

First Week

Today was the first Family Friday in Mia's class and we got this! I love this picture! Mia's hair looks super-long because of the shadow behind her :)

She's doing well so far. She's met a few friends already and I got to meet those friends' Moms today. I think she's excited to be going to school because during the afternoons she'll tell me, "I want to go back to school!"

Aidan is without a doubt doing well too. His first report is due today, but it was really easy since it's all about himself. He says his teacher is funny and he's made friends with the other two 5th grade boys in his class. I'm sure he misses being with his old classmates but he still gets to play with them during lunchtime.

First week is almost over. I'm sure we can look forward to doing actual schoolwork very soon!

Sweet Dreams, Momo

Success!

Mia let me leave her room tonight without her being sad and crying!

The last three nights were rough with Monday being the worst. I had left her asleep and ten minutes later she woke up bawling. I would tell her to go back to sleep, but she'd find every excuse to get out of her room. She needed water...she had to go to the bathroom (twice)...the cats were being loud. It was like an episode from Supernanny! Her crying was so terribly loud that I almost caved in, but I knew I couldn't once we started. I think the last time I put her back in her room was around 3:30 AM and it left me so exhausted for the next day. We went through the whole ordeal again on Tuesday night. Same exact thing...so many tears shed...only she relented a bit earlier. Last night as I was about to leave her bed she began crying again but this time I decided to talk her through it. I told her that even though she was sleeping by herself it didn't mean that I didn't love her any less. Sleeping on her own was just something that big boys and girls did. I think I spent 45 minutes reassuring her with how much I love her and how much everyone else loves her. I left her at about 11 PM and she was sound asleep 'til I woke her up this morning.

So this is what we did tonight that I guess is her nighttime ritual. Toothbrushing and bathtime at 8:15 PM. I blow-dried her hair. Then we went to her room and she picked out two books to read. We lay down together in her bed and, since she said she was tired, I was the one doing all the reading. After reading I got up and I told her I loved her several times and we gave each other goodnight kisses. And before I closed her door I told her I loved her again.

I honestly didn't think I could convince her to sleep in her own room, but now it's happened. I'm so relieved! For being brave I promised her that we would take her to Toys 'R Us to pick out "a little something". I'm just so super-duper proud of her right now that I feel like I'm going to burst.

first night

shhh...she's finally sleeping in her bed tonight. but it's in my room. we had to put it here because we were going to paint the kids' rooms (back to white). i thought she would make a fuss, but she didn't. after one story she went to sleep right away. hopefully when it's time to move her bed she'll finally be ok with sleeping in her room. perhaps? i'll just hope...

Not Yet

We haven't tried again yet, but I think I feel better now to have another go at sleeping in her room tomorrow. In the meantime, look who's taking advantage of the new, pretty, unused bed. They've logged more hours on it than Mia.

Pip. Every time I look at his face I think "silly cat."

Doesn't she look pretty, though? She really makes such a pretty ballerina.

Moving On

OK. Maybe I shouldn't care whether Mia sleeps in her own room or with me right now. Me trying to force her into doing something she's not ready for is giving both of us a hard time. I get upset. She thinks that I don't love her. There are ghosts that might float into her room through holes in the walls. How do you persuade a four-year-old that those scary things in her mind are non-existent? So I'm not going to force the issue. We'll just try again a little bit later.

Facebook games are sucking up my life. I need to just stop and back away. If I can just get my mind to stop wanting to "check what's on the feed"... There are things I'd like to do - the first being to get rid of all the extra clutter around the house. I'm starting to get back into checking all the websites that inspire me to live beautifully and, although I know the images they post are highly stylized, I don't think it's so bad to strive for the same kind of perfection in my own life and home. Gosh...I WANT TO GET BACK TO REALITY!

Calming down...

Getting into bed now with my baby girl right beside me...

Hi, Grandma and Grandpa!

Do you like my hair?

The Princess of Make-Believe

Those are socks on her hands.

And I was looking through old pics again and came across this one from February. I miss her two front teeth.

After A Long Day...

She said, "I know what I can do! I can listen to music before I go to sleep just like Olivia." (Olivia, the cartoon.) She brought the iPod and headphones with her upstairs and, after we brushed her teeth, she climbed into bed with them on. After 10 minutes I turned around to look at her from my desk and she was already sound asleep. The last song before I turned off the iPod was the one by Leessang and Lee Hyori. I guess Korean music is just as good as any lullaby.

A Most Beautiful Smile

Happy New Year! (Better late than never!)

Mia got her two front teeth pulled out yesterday :( I took her to her regular dental check-up two weeks ago and her x-ray showed that they were both fractured. Rather than risk infection, the dentist recommended they be extracted. So here she is now. I have to say how lucky I am to have two very good and smart children. The dental assistant said that Mia was the youngest and the best patient she had that day. Her dentist called her "the princess of all princesses" because she was so good. As for me, I wanted to cry as her teeth were being pulled out. It'll be like three years until her permanent teeth grow out so until then she'll have a bridge to fill in the gap.

She's eaten three bowls of oatmeal since yesterday because she can't eat anything hard. This afternoon I was eating french fries and she really wanted some so I mashed them up for her. For dinner we had pot roast and I cut everything up into tiny pieces and mixed it with rice for her.

She's had to go through a lot these past few months. Getting hurt, getting sick... She's a strong, little girl but I just pray that this year will be kinder to her.

Mia's Make Believe

When Mia takes a bath, I let her play for a bit after we finish soaping and shampooing. Lately she's been pretending to be mixing up some drinks for me with her cups. Yesterday she made me tea that she proclaimed would make me sweet and then asked me, "Would you like it in a large cup?" I couldn't help but laugh!

Tonight she made me various drinks that contained lips and pee and poo because gross things are funny. Of course, my pretend drinks were served super-sized.

(BTW, today I was so proud of her at the doctor's office. Four shots (2 on each arm) and she didn't even flinch or cry. Wow.)

I Love Them

y silly and beautiful babies.

Dress-up

(Her "shhh" pose)

I Really Have To Put Away The Laundry

I took this just before I drove him to school this morning. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's his longer hair but he's changed on me again somehow. Notice the stacked sweatbands (that he got from his school's fundraiser), The Diary of A Wimpy Kid in his hands. He's adjusted well to his new school.



She's ready to go again after missing three days of school (due to our vacation and then getting sick). She was so happy this morning and even woke up early.



I'm slightly obsessed with BIGBANG. I found them on Youtube when Iwas looking up the Wonder Girls. How is it that I can love their songs when I can't even understand a word of what they're saying???!!

She's Growing Up

Here is the report:

1. They played Duck, Duck, Goose.
2. She hates the boy who stepped on her finger while playing Duck, Duck, Goose.
3. She said she traded her juice with another girl's yogurt.
4. She was extremely thirsty when I picked her up.
5. One teacher asked me how old Mia was because she was so well mannered and so outgoing.

So far, so good!

I'm Still Here

Pip is curled up between my arms as I'm typing :)

Life has been busy and I've been neglecting to write even though so many things have happened since my last post.

Aidan started 4th grade three weeks ago. New school, new friends to make. All of us were excited about this and it would have been a fabulous beginning if I hadn't written down the wrong start date. Yes, he missed his first day of school. I agonized that night, hoping that everything would still fall into place...and surprisingly it did. While we were waiting for the school's doors to open, we met a Mom and her son who also missed the first day. He was in the same grade as Aidan and in the same class. Instant friends. They even sit next to each other in the classroom.

Aidan has adjusted really well. He has a few other friends he talks about. Once a week he stays after school for Chess Masters - a chess-playing club. He's been doing well with his homework too so I have nothing to worry about with him. He's still on his way to finishing his black-belt tests for taekwondo. He starts soccer next week. I couldn't have asked for a more well-rounded boy.

I enrolled Mia in Tiny Tots at the YMCA and that begins next month. She'll be going to preschool every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for three hours a day. I know she'll have fun because she just loves to be around other people and especially other kids.

Speaking of other kids, Mia has been going to My Gym every Friday and for the past three weeks a certain boy has become attached to her. At a certain point during classes the kids are separated into groups and he always asks to be with her. Last week they were picked to be in different groups and the boy got upset. So upset that he just sat there and pouted and he didn't want to listen to the teacher. It was surprising because he's one of the more well-behaved boys in class. His Mom pulled him out and gave him a little talk. After that he was fine and he and Mia got together during free-play. My girl...already causing trouble for the boys.

This Is Me

Sleeping Beauty

Mia is taking a nap in her new bed right now. All by herself. I want to take a picture but I'm afraid I might wake her. Shhhh...

Her New Bed

She promises to sleep in her new bed all by herself. Let's see how that goes. I think I'll miss her being in my bed actually.



I think this picture comes closest to the color of the walls. It's still a bit too pink for me. I'd love it was more of a powdery pink. If only there was a way to magically tone it down instead of having to do the actual labor.



Her room is still a bit bare. I'm really in love with her bed though. It has so much character.



This the sitting window next to her bed. If I could sew I'd make a cushion for it and I'm sure Lola would never leave that spot.



She's arranged most of her animals already! Sweet dreams, Momo!

Knott's Berry Farm