Max’s first day of class wasn’t the best.The hubby and I stayed for the first 20 minutes to make sure he was going to be ok. While he was playing with some toys, another classmate, who was a little older than him, pushed him around rather aggressively. Max just looked stunned. I don’t think he’s been around other kids like that before. We felt so bad for him. It just broke my heart. I know this is something that’s bound to happen, so we shouldn’t try to avoid it, but I can’t help feel like I want to protect my child always. Yes, he’s three now, but he’s still my little baby.
So we left him, with a little bit of hesitation. Later, when it was time to pick him up, we peeked into his classroom, and he seemed to be fine. Just playing with some toys and chillin’. Once class was over, and he saw us waiting for him in the hall, his face crumpled. He ran over to me, and just bawled his eyes out. He held on to me so tightly and buried his face against my chest. It just broke my heart because he was crying so sadly. His teacher swears he didn’t cry at all earlier. The whole walk home, he wouldn’t let go of my hand. Today was a little better. No tears, but still a little resistance. Poor kid. I really want him to be happy and like his new school.
Today was the last day of class for me. Technically, last class is next week, but we don’t have any finals. Just have to pick up our final grade and papers. So glad to be done with this class. While it wasn’t terribly difficult, it was just a pain to write papers since I hate it so much. But I have a feeling I’ll be getting an A in this class.
Btw, question for those who want to answer: would you rather buy furniture or jewelry?
The weather is nice today. It’s a teeny bit chilly, but I don’t care as long as the sun is out. I thrive when there’s sun, which is unfortunate if we ever move back to the Pacific NW. Our living room faces the west, so it’s really bright & cheery in the early afternoon until sun down. I love it.
Today, dropped Max off at his class, and had some breakfast. This is usually when I get some alone time. I normally go to the nearby cafe and enjoy some baked goods w/ coffee & catch up on text book readings, or read gossip on TMZ. Besides that, I also dropped by Sandy’s & visited them for a bit.
After Max’s class, we came home and did some yard work. I was trying to rake, but Max was too busy messing up my piles of leaves, so it took me longer than necessary. He loves piling them into his big dump truck and hauling them around the yard. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that we hired someone to landscape our front yard, and it should be done in a couple of weeks. I am not a gardener at all (probably will never be), so we decided to indulge ourselves and pay someone else to do it. One of the plants we’re getting is a dwarf Korean lilac tree, which I am really looking forward to seeing because we just adore flowering trees. Will post up before/after pictures when it’s done.
While the hubby & Max went to visit the hubby’s mom, I worked on my paper, and got dinner ready. Btw, Mike’s mom is doing a lot better, which we are happy about. She’s at the new hospital, and hopefully, will be out in a month.
For dinner, I made spinach & bacon quiche with garlic red potatoes. The quiche was good, but I can never make decent red potatoes. Too much lemon this time.
Anyway, that was my day today. This weekend, we have a wedding to go too. Oops, I have to go find Max an outfit, and me, some shoes. And a blessing ceremony on Sunday. I also have several gifts to buy for graduations, birthdays, and housewarming, etc…
Btw, my friend Oanh from junior high was in town this weekend, so I met up with her & another friend Liz Saturday night at Chino Latino. I haven’t seen them in almost 13 years. Of course, they haven’t changed a bit. So nice to see them and catch up.
With the weather getting warmer, these past few days have been wonderful. Some of my favorite moments:
+ playing at the park & hearing Max shriek in laughter when I pretend to chase him
+ sharing a sundae at a local ice cream shop after dinner
+ Max & I watching the hubby organize the recycling & trash through the window. Wanted Max to practice his sentences so we would yell out randomly, “Hi Daddy!”… “What are you doing!”
+ falling asleep on the sofa with a breeze on my face and the hubby curled next to me
+ going to the zoo on a Monday & not having to deal with crowds/parking
+ spending some time with my parents & sisters
+ sitting outside with the sun shining down and sharing a snack of cantaloupes with Max
Anyway, I’ve been procrastinating on my paper. It’s due soon, but I’ve been putting it off. Not sure how to go about finishing it. Luckily, we will not have a final essay or a final test to do for the end of the semester. Just a very small paper that we will write in class. Whew! This semester did go by surprisingly fast, so I am glad to be done with this class soon.
+ Isn’t she gorgeous? Here’s Jaime in her dress and with her boyfriend Henry. I didn’t get a chance to take any pictures so these aren’t mine. Guess who picked out the necklace? Moi! I knew every other girl would be wearing rhinestones, so it had to be something different. Kind of reminds me of the Grecian look. I did her makeup and Sandy did her hair, which she did a great job. I guess after prom, instead of going to Perkins like everyone else, Jaime and her posse went to a salsa club. How cool is that? Partying some more, Latin style. Sounds like they had a memorable night, which is how prom should be.
+ Had lunch with Maysee today at Hell’s Kitchen, and guess what? I got a parking ticket. Shucks! Guess I jinxed myself. My lucky streak is over. All good things must come to an end.
+ Visited Mike’s mom today. She’s well enough that they’re going to transfer her (again) to the long term care facility. She really wants to go home though. I feel so bad for her. She’s still not all there mentally, but a lot of her spunk hasn’t left her. We’re still hoping for the best. Today, she told Mike she wanted some Diet Coke (besides some alcohol), so Mike poured some into a cup and dipped a sponge stick so she could suck it (she can’t drink liquids yet), but she kept asking where the bottle was. Mike started saying that he didn’t have the bottle (he was lying), and she said in a really annoyed way, “MICHAEL…” It was pretty funny. Then she wanted us to help her sneak out of the hospital. I told her that I didn’t want to get in trouble, but she said she’ll pay for our tickets. Can’t help, but giggle a little.
+ I have been procrastinating on my paper. Last week I busted my butt getting my first draft ready for peer evaluation, but turned out, not everyone was ready, and the teacher felt bad for them, so she said that we can do peer evaluations next class. I was so annoyed because I stayed up until 5am one night.
+ Btw, Hell’s Kitchen was ok. Maysee & I shared a club sandwich and grilled ham & pear sandwich. Both were decent, but service could have been better. The other day, we went to Saji Ya on Grand Ave. The inside of the restaurant was pretty cool, but the food was such a disappointment. The hubby & I shared a bunch of sushi rolls, but they weren’t very good. The California was a little funky. The Number 9 was nothing special. As for the caterpillar, all we could taste was the avocado & rice. Too bad. I really wanted to like that place.
+ I can’t wait until it gets warmer so I can start buying our spring/summer clothes. Max mainly needs shorts and sandals, but I need a completely new wardrobe.
+ I have a quick break to sneak in an entry, so here I go… This past weekend, all of the sisters (there’s six of us) plus cousin Shanna went prom dress shopping for my sister Jaime. We hit up David’s Bridal first, but left unsuccessful. Next up was Bloomingdales. They have so many adorable dresses! We all walked through the gowns department, and grabbed any dress we thought was cute. I think she tried on almost 30 dresses–it was a lot. She did end up picking one out, but it wasn’t my first pick. The dress she picked is very cute though. I thought it was kind of funny how all the sisters were living vicariously through her, and wanting her to pick their dress. Only two of us got to go to prom. Anyway, Sandy’s going to do Jaime’s hair, and I’ll be doing her makeup. She’s gonna be hot!
+ Currently listening to: Yael Naim (she’s the singer of that super catchy song from the Mac Book Air commercial), Almost Lover - A Fine Frenzy, Kanye West, Mika, Natasha Bedingfield
+ These animals are amazing: the dancing walrus and the elephant who paints.
+ Only three more weeks and I’ll be done this semester!
+ I wish I could record Max singing his lullaby for you all to hear. It’s super super cute. He knows what a camera is, and clams up immediately when he sees it.
+ Been looking at preschools for Max, but it is kind of overwhelming. Not to mention expensive! Need to do more research before we decide on one. In the meantime, he’ll still be taking his speech therapy classes.
+ Planning on visiting Madison & Chicago next month. I am looking forward to seeing our family/friends, but definitely not the drive.
+ I bought the hubby an iPhone a couple months ago, and he is still amazed with it. Talks about how much he loves it at least every other day. It is a pretty cool gadget, but I am not as infatuated as he is. He just thinks that I don’t appreciate the technology. What I do really like about it is how we are able to put several of Max’s favorite cartoons such as Ni Hao Kai Lan and Max&Ruby on it, and he can watch it anywhere. If he’s getting a little antsy when we’re out eating and he’s bored with coloring the menu, we bust out the iPhone. So convenient.
+ Since we had some vermicelli noodles leftover from Max’s party, I made bun thit nuong (vermicelli noodle salad) for dinner tonight. I wish I could have grilled the pork and shrimp, but since we don’t have a grill, I pan fried them instead. Speaking of grills, Mike really wants a new grill this summer. I’d love one of those nice stainless steel ones, but I don’t want to shell out the dough for something we’ll only use a couple times a year.
+ It was so nice on Sunday, and then it snowed A LOT yesterday. So. Sick. Of. Snow. But today was just gorgeous. A lot of the snow melted. Max & I went to Ikea for lunch, and browsed a bit. Left with nothing, and dropped him back off at home with his Daddy so he could nap while I went grocery shopping. He never napped, so he went to bed early tonight. I love it when he falls asleep in my arms because it rarely happens anymore since he getting older. I could tell he was tired, so I opened my arms, and he climbed in. I started singing a lullaby softly, and he sang along here & there, then he drifted to sleep. I love these moments.
+ Haven’t been watching a lot of tv due to my class, but when I can, I’ve been watching Top Chef, Lost, and just finished up America’s Best Dance Crew on MTV. I still can’t believe Status Quo made it to the finals. Kabba Modern should’ve been there with JW. Jabba Wockeez totally rocked it, and obviously deserved the win.
+ I will be working on my next paper, so I won’t be posting very much in the next couple of weeks. If I can, I’ll try & sneak in some updates. Now that Max’s birthday party is over, we don’t have any events lined up for the next month or two.
+ Btw, thanks for the nice compliments on my little fondant figures. I made Ho Ho (the monkey) & his turntable after I injured my hand, so take that Martha! Just kidding. Martha’s my idol. Actually, Mike did help me roll Ho Ho’s head and body. Keke.
click for larger image
To our little boy Max:
Today is your birthday, and you have been in our lives for three years now. We cannot imagine what it would be like without you. You have taught us how to truly love and the meaning of patience. Because of you, we strive to be better in every aspect possible. You are such an intelligent and precocious little boy. You delight us everyday with your heartwarming giggles and mischievous smiles. You are growing up so fast, and we happily look forward to your next milestones and accomplishments. We love you very much, Boo Boo.
Love,
Mommy & Daddy
Max’s accomplishments as of today:
+ Recognizes and can say all 26 letters, in lower & upper case
+ Recognizes and can count up to 20 in English
+ Can count to 10 in Hmong
+ Can count to 5 in Spanish (thanks Diego)
+ Can count to 5 in Chinese (thanks Ni Hao Kai Lan)
+ Knows these shapes: heart, triangle, circle, oval, square, moon
+ Knows these colors: red, pink, white, black, yellow, blue, green, gray, purple, orange
+ Knows these colors in Spanish: blue, red, green, yellow
+ Can imitate animal sounds & actions: cow, sheep, squirrel, elephant, monkey, chicken, duck, mouse, fish, snake, lobster, crab, tiger, lion, dinosaur, pig, dog, cat, bee, seal, dolphin
+ Speech & vocabulary has improved immensely from last summer. Speaks in 3 word sentences a lot, and has been making a big effort on speaking more.
