(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 parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
The good ol' days
Halloween is not what it used to be. I hate to use these words, but back in my day, Halloween was so much more fun.
Kids would trick-or-treat for hours, people would open up their homes or garages and make mini haunted houses, adults dressed up to give out candy and we would have costume parades at school.
Now, it is considered late if you come by a house at 8 p.m. and people prefer malls, zoos and other play places instead of the traditional trick-or-treating.
Somehow, I don’t think standing in line after line for a few pieces of candy is comparable to going home to home and seeing different decorations or costumes and receiving a variety of candy.
I remember when I was a child; my neighbor would always decorate his house elaborately. I remember a giant fuzzy spider he had hanging from his porch that he would drop down to surprise and scare all of the kids. We loved it.
There were several homes that did things similar to my neighbor, and I remember being excited every year to visit these homes again.
My goal every year was to fill my candy bag all the way to the top.
I also looked forward to showing off whatever creative costume I had for the year at school. Most of the kids at school would dress up on Halloween and it was so much fun to admire all of the other costumes while we had treats in the classroom.
Now costumes are not allowed at most schools.
It was also fun to play with the flash lights we would take with us when we went trick-or-treating. It was the whole experience of it that created so many happy memories for me.
It seems every year there are fewer trick-or-treaters and many of them are older kids who really have no business going around asking for candy anyway.
I think it is so sad how just a few people could ruin a fun tradition for so many children. Fears of poisoned candy, predators and bag snatchers has forced people to celebrate in different ways.
Families flock to malls and churches instead of going from home to home. People who fear criminal action turn off their porch lights and lock their doors instead of decorating and passing out candy.
Stupid people vandalize homes that don’t give out candy or smash pumpkins that people spend hours carving and just ruin the whole occasion.
So now I have joined the trend of people who avoid the streets on Halloween and usually opt to take my children to church for a “safe zone.”
This annual tradition has changed so much in the “short time” from my childhood to now. But I guess it’s not about trick-or-treating and more about making happy memories, which we will definitely work on.
Kids would trick-or-treat for hours, people would open up their homes or garages and make mini haunted houses, adults dressed up to give out candy and we would have costume parades at school.
Now, it is considered late if you come by a house at 8 p.m. and people prefer malls, zoos and other play places instead of the traditional trick-or-treating.
Somehow, I don’t think standing in line after line for a few pieces of candy is comparable to going home to home and seeing different decorations or costumes and receiving a variety of candy.
I remember when I was a child; my neighbor would always decorate his house elaborately. I remember a giant fuzzy spider he had hanging from his porch that he would drop down to surprise and scare all of the kids. We loved it.
There were several homes that did things similar to my neighbor, and I remember being excited every year to visit these homes again.
My goal every year was to fill my candy bag all the way to the top.
I also looked forward to showing off whatever creative costume I had for the year at school. Most of the kids at school would dress up on Halloween and it was so much fun to admire all of the other costumes while we had treats in the classroom.
Now costumes are not allowed at most schools.
It was also fun to play with the flash lights we would take with us when we went trick-or-treating. It was the whole experience of it that created so many happy memories for me.
It seems every year there are fewer trick-or-treaters and many of them are older kids who really have no business going around asking for candy anyway.
I think it is so sad how just a few people could ruin a fun tradition for so many children. Fears of poisoned candy, predators and bag snatchers has forced people to celebrate in different ways.
Families flock to malls and churches instead of going from home to home. People who fear criminal action turn off their porch lights and lock their doors instead of decorating and passing out candy.
Stupid people vandalize homes that don’t give out candy or smash pumpkins that people spend hours carving and just ruin the whole occasion.
So now I have joined the trend of people who avoid the streets on Halloween and usually opt to take my children to church for a “safe zone.”
This annual tradition has changed so much in the “short time” from my childhood to now. But I guess it’s not about trick-or-treating and more about making happy memories, which we will definitely work on.
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.
My little wild child
(From the Aug. 27 Issue of the Citizen)
Accidents happen, but that does not make it any easier to deal with, especially when they happen to our children.
My 11-month-old daughter Cheilin has been walking for a little more than a month now, and it has been a challenge (to put it lightly) to keep her out of trouble.
The first chance she gets, she will head to the stairs or the kitchen or the bathroom. She is very curious, naturally, and loves to explore.
Well, on this particular day, my 8-year-old son finally lost his top tooth. It had been loose for quite some time, and with the help of my mother, we were able to talk him into letting her remove it.
We were at my mom’s house, which is a two-story, so there is always the concern that Cheilin will get to the stairs.
I was in the living room with her when I heard Deven screaming from the bathroom. He finally had a look at himself with the missing tooth and freaked out. He also did not like seeing all of the blood.
My first instinct was to run over to check on him when I heard him scream without even thinking. I stayed in the bathroom with him for less than a minute, and when I came out, Cheilin was already up two steps.
I ran to her and called her name, and it must have startled her, because she fell forward and hit her face right on the edge of the step.
Then there was a long pause, she stopped, and then the wailing started. I picked her up and saw lots of blood coming out of her mouth.
It was a horrible thing to see on my baby. It even made Deven stop complaining about losing his tooth.
I guess her two bottom teeth pierced her upper lip. On top of that, she has been teething with her top four teeth starting to break through. Those teeth broke through her gum and so she was bleeding there too.
There was so much blood coming out of her mouth, and I felt like the worst mother for letting it happen right in front of me.
It took about 10 minutes to get the bleeding to stop, holding her down to apply pressure to her gums.
We have gates at my mom’s house, but the opening to her staircase is very wide, so we cannot gate that area. We usually fence her into a certain section of the house.
Since I was with her, I let her roam free, thinking I would be able to stop her. I ran to Deven without even thinking, when I should have known that Cheilin would run to the stairs the first chance she had.
Later that evening, when we got home, she hurt herself again. This time, she slipped and hit her head on the floor, which is tiled.
She had a new dress, still on the hanger, and she was holding it and slipped on it. Boom! Right on her head.
Now she had a fat lip and a bump/bruise on her head. But it does not end here.
I decided to take her to the family room, where there is carpet. I thought she would be safer there. I was wrong.
She likes to walk over to the piano, which is in the family room, and hit the keys. She has done this plenty of times without ever hurting herself, but of course, she picked today to trip.
Boom again. She hit her head again on the piano. At that point, I think I was ready to put her to bed just so she would stop hurting herself.
I guess it was just one of those days. I know babies get hurt, but man, I just felt awful. With her fat lip and bumps and bruises, she looked like she got into a scuffle.
Parents cannot be careless when it comes to caring for their children, but on that same note, we are only human. We just have to accept that accidents happen and have the peace of mind knowing that we do everything we can to keep them healthy and safe.
I think the hardest part is knowing that it doesn’t end here. Between Deven and Cheilin, and am sure there will be many more bumps and bruises to come. Just please God, no broken bones!
Accidents happen, but that does not make it any easier to deal with, especially when they happen to our children.
My 11-month-old daughter Cheilin has been walking for a little more than a month now, and it has been a challenge (to put it lightly) to keep her out of trouble.
The first chance she gets, she will head to the stairs or the kitchen or the bathroom. She is very curious, naturally, and loves to explore.
Well, on this particular day, my 8-year-old son finally lost his top tooth. It had been loose for quite some time, and with the help of my mother, we were able to talk him into letting her remove it.
We were at my mom’s house, which is a two-story, so there is always the concern that Cheilin will get to the stairs.
I was in the living room with her when I heard Deven screaming from the bathroom. He finally had a look at himself with the missing tooth and freaked out. He also did not like seeing all of the blood.
My first instinct was to run over to check on him when I heard him scream without even thinking. I stayed in the bathroom with him for less than a minute, and when I came out, Cheilin was already up two steps.
I ran to her and called her name, and it must have startled her, because she fell forward and hit her face right on the edge of the step.
Then there was a long pause, she stopped, and then the wailing started. I picked her up and saw lots of blood coming out of her mouth.
It was a horrible thing to see on my baby. It even made Deven stop complaining about losing his tooth.
I guess her two bottom teeth pierced her upper lip. On top of that, she has been teething with her top four teeth starting to break through. Those teeth broke through her gum and so she was bleeding there too.
There was so much blood coming out of her mouth, and I felt like the worst mother for letting it happen right in front of me.
It took about 10 minutes to get the bleeding to stop, holding her down to apply pressure to her gums.
We have gates at my mom’s house, but the opening to her staircase is very wide, so we cannot gate that area. We usually fence her into a certain section of the house.
Since I was with her, I let her roam free, thinking I would be able to stop her. I ran to Deven without even thinking, when I should have known that Cheilin would run to the stairs the first chance she had.
Later that evening, when we got home, she hurt herself again. This time, she slipped and hit her head on the floor, which is tiled.
She had a new dress, still on the hanger, and she was holding it and slipped on it. Boom! Right on her head.
Now she had a fat lip and a bump/bruise on her head. But it does not end here.
I decided to take her to the family room, where there is carpet. I thought she would be safer there. I was wrong.
She likes to walk over to the piano, which is in the family room, and hit the keys. She has done this plenty of times without ever hurting herself, but of course, she picked today to trip.
Boom again. She hit her head again on the piano. At that point, I think I was ready to put her to bed just so she would stop hurting herself.
I guess it was just one of those days. I know babies get hurt, but man, I just felt awful. With her fat lip and bumps and bruises, she looked like she got into a scuffle.
Parents cannot be careless when it comes to caring for their children, but on that same note, we are only human. We just have to accept that accidents happen and have the peace of mind knowing that we do everything we can to keep them healthy and safe.
I think the hardest part is knowing that it doesn’t end here. Between Deven and Cheilin, and am sure there will be many more bumps and bruises to come. Just please God, no broken bones!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Children, the greatest comfort
Losing a friend is never easy, but after my friend Jamie passed away last week, I found the greatest comfort in my children.
Through all of my sadness and heartache, my son Deven and my daughter Cheilin still managed to make me smile.
Deven is only 8 years old, but his understanding of the situation made me proud. I told him what had happened and that I needed him to be supportive and to help me out a bit.
He was sympathetic and never complained when Iwas busy and could not be home because I was meeting with friends or when we could not go get the ice cream I promised or when he had to wait to go costume shopping.
“It’s OK mommy,” he would say. And I hate to admit it, but he said those words more times than he should have this past week.
And his silly personality still managed to make me smile or laugh during moments when I did not think it was possible.
He gave me hugs and kisses when I needed them, and knew when it was not appropriate to be silly. He listened while I talked about Jamie and was caring.
The only other time he remembers seeing me cry was when our dog Rocky was put to sleep last month.
Deven really made me proud. He is already developing into a great man.
And Cheilin did not have to do anything to cheer me up. Regardless of how I felt, all she had to do was walk by me and smile and she would warm my heart.
I still cannot believe sometimes just how much joy a small little baby can bring. Times like these are when I truly need to hug my children and hold them close.
There was so much comfort in my heart when I picked up Cheilin and held her. The smell of her hair and the way she felt just brought me a huge amount of solace.
I was amazed by how much I clung to my children during this time. Deven and Cheilin truly have been my greatest comfort.
No words can really describe all of the emotions I have been going through, but on that note, no words can really describe how my children make me feel either.
The love, joy, comfort, frustration, fear and stress I feel for and from my children all compile into the amazing feeling of motherhood.
They have been my rock throughout everything. My children and my husband Steve have consoled me more than I could have ever asked. The thing is, I did not have to ask.
I guess the greatest cure for sadness and grief is love. It has been for me.
Through all of my sadness and heartache, my son Deven and my daughter Cheilin still managed to make me smile.
Deven is only 8 years old, but his understanding of the situation made me proud. I told him what had happened and that I needed him to be supportive and to help me out a bit.
He was sympathetic and never complained when Iwas busy and could not be home because I was meeting with friends or when we could not go get the ice cream I promised or when he had to wait to go costume shopping.
“It’s OK mommy,” he would say. And I hate to admit it, but he said those words more times than he should have this past week.
And his silly personality still managed to make me smile or laugh during moments when I did not think it was possible.
He gave me hugs and kisses when I needed them, and knew when it was not appropriate to be silly. He listened while I talked about Jamie and was caring.
The only other time he remembers seeing me cry was when our dog Rocky was put to sleep last month.
Deven really made me proud. He is already developing into a great man.
And Cheilin did not have to do anything to cheer me up. Regardless of how I felt, all she had to do was walk by me and smile and she would warm my heart.
I still cannot believe sometimes just how much joy a small little baby can bring. Times like these are when I truly need to hug my children and hold them close.
There was so much comfort in my heart when I picked up Cheilin and held her. The smell of her hair and the way she felt just brought me a huge amount of solace.
I was amazed by how much I clung to my children during this time. Deven and Cheilin truly have been my greatest comfort.
No words can really describe all of the emotions I have been going through, but on that note, no words can really describe how my children make me feel either.
The love, joy, comfort, frustration, fear and stress I feel for and from my children all compile into the amazing feeling of motherhood.
They have been my rock throughout everything. My children and my husband Steve have consoled me more than I could have ever asked. The thing is, I did not have to ask.
I guess the greatest cure for sadness and grief is love. It has been for me.
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