(Published in the Nov. 5 issue of the Citizen)
I know it is cliché, but sometimes, it truly is the simple things in life that make us happy.
Last Saturday was a rare weekend where my family and I had nowhere we had to be, so we decided to keep things simple and order pizza and rent a few movies.
It was raining outside, so we really enjoyed this family time we could spend together warm and cozy in our house.
We rented “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and a Batman cartoon, two kid-friendly films the entire family could enjoy.
We settled in our family room, and pretty much spread out on the carpet while we watched our movies. We got to pig out on pizza, garlic bread, hot wings and Halloween candy and we couldn’t have been happier.
What was really nice was we were able to enjoy the movie while my daughter Cheilin, who is 14 months old, ran around and played.
She pretty much just played and did her own thing during the movie. We only had to take one break to get her some milk.
We don’t get to watch movies very often anymore since we can’t really take an active toddler the movie theater.
So it was kind of a treat to catch up on some of the movies that we have been wanting to watch.
Our pizza and movie night was really great bonding time with my son Deven who is 8 years old.
Little things like this really brighten him up and make him happy. We do not always have to go out and spend a ton of money to have family time; simple things like renting a movie can be just as rewarding.
It is not always about what you do, as long as you do them together. This is what memories are built on.
Regardless of how busy our schedules may be, we have to always remember to put some time aside to spend with our families.
We used to have lots of movie nights, but things have changed a lot since we added another member to our family.
Babies are very demanding of time and energy, so we kind of let our movie renting nights fizzle out.
But Deven was so happy after our movie night, and we all had such a great time that we decided to make it a monthly ritual. It was nice to see Deven’s face light up when I told him this.
On another note, “Journey to the Center of the Earth” was a fun movie and I liked it a lot. Yes, it is unrealistic and cheesy, but it is a great family movie and it was exciting and I enjoyed it just as much as Deven.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Packing for babies
(From the Oct. 1 issue of the Citizen)
Taking family trips has always been something that my husband Steve and I love doing, even if it is just a quick getaway for the weekend.
My son Deven is 8 years old, so in addition to our things, we would only have to pack him some clothes, shoes and toothbrush.
But now traveling is not quite the same. We have our daughter Cheilin who just turned 1. We are still amazed at how someone so little requires so much stuff.
Even if we just go to visit friends or family for a weekend, there is special food to pack, milk, clothes, diapers, wipes and so much more.
On top of that, she has a Pack-N-Play playpen that we also have to take with us everywhere we go so that she has somewhere she could sleep.
We cannot let Cheilin sleep on a bed because we know she would roll off, and I just do not want to risk it.
Even if she does not roll off, I worry that she could fall if she tries to climb down after waking up in case Steve or I are not there to carry her. I suppose you can call me paranoid, but it beats taking her to the emergency room for a concussion.
While the playpen is relatively easy to pack, it takes up a lot of space and I could not imagine what it would be like trying to lug it through an airport.
Speaking of airports, we have had that experience once.
We took a trip to Disneyland when Cheilin was 2 months old, and all of her stuff was more than Steve, Deven and mine combined.
And passing through security with a baby and her stroller is no easy feat either. I just felt sorry for whoever was behind us in the line. I even had to take off her shoes.
We had to collapse the stroller and put it through the X-ray machine, but it was too big, so we had to pull it out after it got stuck. Then they just searched through it. It was a long and tedious process, but we made it to our flight on time.
Babies require a great deal of items wherever you go, even if it is just something simple, like going to the mall.
Cheilin’s diaper bag is already stuffed with her basic necessities, then we always have to have a blanket for her, the stroller and a small ice bag to keep her milk and food cold. It takes me 15 minutes just to pack up her stuff so we could go shopping.
As a parent, you really have to be prepared to give up your trunk, because it will become loaded with stuff for your kids. Actually, scratch that. You have to be prepared to give up your entire car.
Between the car seat, toys and books all over the car, it leaves little room for much else.
It has been so long since Deven was a baby, that it still shocks me every time we go out and I see just how much stuff Cheilin needs.
I think I am getting used to it now though. But mainly, I am sure Steve has gotten used to me packing half of the nursery.
Taking family trips has always been something that my husband Steve and I love doing, even if it is just a quick getaway for the weekend.
My son Deven is 8 years old, so in addition to our things, we would only have to pack him some clothes, shoes and toothbrush.
But now traveling is not quite the same. We have our daughter Cheilin who just turned 1. We are still amazed at how someone so little requires so much stuff.
Even if we just go to visit friends or family for a weekend, there is special food to pack, milk, clothes, diapers, wipes and so much more.
On top of that, she has a Pack-N-Play playpen that we also have to take with us everywhere we go so that she has somewhere she could sleep.
We cannot let Cheilin sleep on a bed because we know she would roll off, and I just do not want to risk it.
Even if she does not roll off, I worry that she could fall if she tries to climb down after waking up in case Steve or I are not there to carry her. I suppose you can call me paranoid, but it beats taking her to the emergency room for a concussion.
While the playpen is relatively easy to pack, it takes up a lot of space and I could not imagine what it would be like trying to lug it through an airport.
Speaking of airports, we have had that experience once.
We took a trip to Disneyland when Cheilin was 2 months old, and all of her stuff was more than Steve, Deven and mine combined.
And passing through security with a baby and her stroller is no easy feat either. I just felt sorry for whoever was behind us in the line. I even had to take off her shoes.
We had to collapse the stroller and put it through the X-ray machine, but it was too big, so we had to pull it out after it got stuck. Then they just searched through it. It was a long and tedious process, but we made it to our flight on time.
Babies require a great deal of items wherever you go, even if it is just something simple, like going to the mall.
Cheilin’s diaper bag is already stuffed with her basic necessities, then we always have to have a blanket for her, the stroller and a small ice bag to keep her milk and food cold. It takes me 15 minutes just to pack up her stuff so we could go shopping.
As a parent, you really have to be prepared to give up your trunk, because it will become loaded with stuff for your kids. Actually, scratch that. You have to be prepared to give up your entire car.
Between the car seat, toys and books all over the car, it leaves little room for much else.
It has been so long since Deven was a baby, that it still shocks me every time we go out and I see just how much stuff Cheilin needs.
I think I am getting used to it now though. But mainly, I am sure Steve has gotten used to me packing half of the nursery.
Losing a pet
(From the Sept. 10 issue of the Citizen)
We have lost a member of our family. Rocky, the best Doberman pinscher anyone could ask for, had to be put to sleep last week.
Not really having pets growing up, losing a dog after having him be a part of my life for so many years was a new experience for me. It was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do.
Even though Rocky was about 14 years old and his time really was up, it did not make it any easier to let go. My husband Steve adopted Rocky from Doberman Rescue when he was around 2 years old.
Rocky has only been in my life for the past six years, but in that time, he has become a part of my life and my family.
My son Deven has also had a difficult time dealing with losing Rocky. Rocky has lived with us since Deven was just 3 years old.
I think what was even more difficult than putting Rocky to sleep was seeing the condition he was in before we let him go.
He has always been a big dog, even for a Doberman, so it must have put too much pressure on his hip, which looks like it broke.
He could no longer walk or even sit up. What was heartbreaking was that he soiled himself because he could not even stand to do that.
We could get him in the house, and he settled in a corner in the garage. He looked so miserable that I broke out in tears every time I saw him.
He would not eat and drank very little water. Before this, Rocky was the most sweet, loving, playful dog that loved taking walks. In fact, we could not even say the word “walk” around him without him going nuts.
Food was another thing Rocky loved. He loved to eat. Deven has many memories of Rocky stealing one of his cookies or chasing him around the house trying to grab his ham. Those were really funny memories.
But the Rocky we knew was already gone. To see his personality gone like that was extremely heartbreaking.
He no longer responded to me, even when I used the magic work “walk.” He looked like he was so embarrassed about his condition.
Selfishly, we wanted to hold on to him as long as we could. No one wants to put their pet down, but once it got to this point, there was nothing else that could be done.
What made things worse was that my husband Steve was in Chicago for business that week, so I had to go through all of this alone.
I was able to load Rocky into the car with the help of our good friend Bobby, who came over to help me take care of Rocky. This was something that definitely could not wait until Steve came home.
The night before I took Rocky in to the vet, I made him a chicken dinner. He devoured an entire plate of chicken breast and bread.
It made me so happy to see him eating. It even gave me a small ounce of hope. The next day, I bought him Taco Bell soft tacos, kind of like his last meal. This time, he did not even turn his head.
That broke my heart, but at the same time, showed me that it really was Rocky’s time. It was nothing like the Rocky that would try to jump on the table and steal our food every time we had Taco Bell.
I think the most difficult thing was explaining things to Deven. I did not lie. I did not keep anything from him because I respect him enough to understand the situation.
He saw the condition Rocky was in and I explained that we could not let him continue to suffer. Deven was devastated but also understood why it had to be done.
I only had to deal with one breakdown with Deven yelling to me, “I don’t want Rocky to die!”
Deven went to the veterinarian with us, but opted to wait in the lobby while the procedure was done.
I stayed and comforted Rocky the whole time, telling him how much we loved him and that we would miss him. Then the vet looked at me and said, “He’s gone.” I am not ashamed to say that I bawled like a baby.
But after that, all of Rocky’s pain was gone. He will be able to have peace now.
Goodbye Rocky. You were the best dog anyone could ever ask for. We love you.
We have lost a member of our family. Rocky, the best Doberman pinscher anyone could ask for, had to be put to sleep last week.
Not really having pets growing up, losing a dog after having him be a part of my life for so many years was a new experience for me. It was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do.
Even though Rocky was about 14 years old and his time really was up, it did not make it any easier to let go. My husband Steve adopted Rocky from Doberman Rescue when he was around 2 years old.
Rocky has only been in my life for the past six years, but in that time, he has become a part of my life and my family.
My son Deven has also had a difficult time dealing with losing Rocky. Rocky has lived with us since Deven was just 3 years old.
I think what was even more difficult than putting Rocky to sleep was seeing the condition he was in before we let him go.
He has always been a big dog, even for a Doberman, so it must have put too much pressure on his hip, which looks like it broke.
He could no longer walk or even sit up. What was heartbreaking was that he soiled himself because he could not even stand to do that.
We could get him in the house, and he settled in a corner in the garage. He looked so miserable that I broke out in tears every time I saw him.
He would not eat and drank very little water. Before this, Rocky was the most sweet, loving, playful dog that loved taking walks. In fact, we could not even say the word “walk” around him without him going nuts.
Food was another thing Rocky loved. He loved to eat. Deven has many memories of Rocky stealing one of his cookies or chasing him around the house trying to grab his ham. Those were really funny memories.
But the Rocky we knew was already gone. To see his personality gone like that was extremely heartbreaking.
He no longer responded to me, even when I used the magic work “walk.” He looked like he was so embarrassed about his condition.
Selfishly, we wanted to hold on to him as long as we could. No one wants to put their pet down, but once it got to this point, there was nothing else that could be done.
What made things worse was that my husband Steve was in Chicago for business that week, so I had to go through all of this alone.
I was able to load Rocky into the car with the help of our good friend Bobby, who came over to help me take care of Rocky. This was something that definitely could not wait until Steve came home.
The night before I took Rocky in to the vet, I made him a chicken dinner. He devoured an entire plate of chicken breast and bread.
It made me so happy to see him eating. It even gave me a small ounce of hope. The next day, I bought him Taco Bell soft tacos, kind of like his last meal. This time, he did not even turn his head.
That broke my heart, but at the same time, showed me that it really was Rocky’s time. It was nothing like the Rocky that would try to jump on the table and steal our food every time we had Taco Bell.
I think the most difficult thing was explaining things to Deven. I did not lie. I did not keep anything from him because I respect him enough to understand the situation.
He saw the condition Rocky was in and I explained that we could not let him continue to suffer. Deven was devastated but also understood why it had to be done.
I only had to deal with one breakdown with Deven yelling to me, “I don’t want Rocky to die!”
Deven went to the veterinarian with us, but opted to wait in the lobby while the procedure was done.
I stayed and comforted Rocky the whole time, telling him how much we loved him and that we would miss him. Then the vet looked at me and said, “He’s gone.” I am not ashamed to say that I bawled like a baby.
But after that, all of Rocky’s pain was gone. He will be able to have peace now.
Goodbye Rocky. You were the best dog anyone could ever ask for. We love you.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
