Chase read "Good Night, Moon," to Madoc tonight.
I wasn't surprised she could read it. She can read pretty well at this point. But for some reason, listening to her little voice really struck me. Perhaps because I read it to her every night when she was little. It was my way of trying to keep something consistent in her ever-changing world.
And for a moment I thought maybe, just maybe, she will read the same book to her child/ren. And maybe (a mom can hope) she will remember reading this book to Madoc, as her mother once read it to her.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Sunday, June 05, 2011
A Word About Blogging
So I am back to blogging. Because I haven't for a while. Because Hubs just informed me that, get this, we could have just lost ALL OUR PICTURES from the last 12 years. Except the ones I have been saving twice on our little laptop. And the only thing that's keeping me from screaming hysterically is the fact that I have managed to write in this blog - almost every day (with the exception of the past year or so) - since Chase was born. And so I am back at it. To stay sane. To keep a record. So that my children and grand children can have a keepsake.
Dragon Boat Races
We decided to spend this morning down in Sai Kung watching the dragon boat races. It was hot and crowded. But Mads LOVED it. Chase was ready to go after one race. Mads threw a tantrum when Brian finally pulled her away (four races later).
Mads cheering on the dragon boats...
So hot and crowded...
But what a glorious day...
Chase wanting to leave...
Madoc wanting to stay...
And so Chase and I went to get a strawberry smoothie, while Mads stayed back with Hubs to watch a couple more races...
Mads cheering on the dragon boats...
So hot and crowded...
But what a glorious day...
Chase wanting to leave...
Madoc wanting to stay...
And so Chase and I went to get a strawberry smoothie, while Mads stayed back with Hubs to watch a couple more races...
Friday, June 03, 2011
Oceans
This week we took a closer look at Oceans. First, we tried to find them on the globe.
Then we did a craft with salt. Watercolor does an interesting thing when you add salt. It makes "snowflakes" appear. Madoc's had a stronger snowflake effect (she used more salt).
Then we did a fish craft and named each part of the fish. Madoc practiced writing her name.
We named and located the five largest oceans in the world.
Good lower case writing practice for Chase.
It was also a good opportunity for Madoc to work on her "writing."
We went down to the local Chinese medicine shop and took a closer look at a dried seahorse, which the Chinese believe give you "special energy," when consumed. The lady next to us told us there are bigger horses, called "Sea Dragons." Unfortunately this shop didn't have any. After taking a close look, we gave it back to the lady behind the counter.
We made something, which I can only describe as sweet and extremely weird. Originally I set off to buy candy fish, but could only find marshmallow eggs, which Chase dubbed "tadpoles." So it was meant to be an edible ocean, but instead it was more like a little pond with strange, marshmallow eggs in it.
We made soap fish. The girls can't wait to take a bath with their new friends. Chase actually made a soap Whale.
Checked out a relevant book from the library.
Went down to the waterfront to take a closer look at what lives in the ocean.
We also tasted some seafood (at home). We made a delish tuna dish from Annabelle Karmel. The kids have never had tuna before and Chase LOVED it. Mads, who has always been the adventurous eater, has somehow changed her ways and now wants to consume only pasta and yogurt.
I am trying to muster up the energy to take the kids to the beach tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.
Next week we will take a closer look at jungles!
Then we did a craft with salt. Watercolor does an interesting thing when you add salt. It makes "snowflakes" appear. Madoc's had a stronger snowflake effect (she used more salt).
Then we did a fish craft and named each part of the fish. Madoc practiced writing her name.
We named and located the five largest oceans in the world.
Good lower case writing practice for Chase.
It was also a good opportunity for Madoc to work on her "writing."
We went down to the local Chinese medicine shop and took a closer look at a dried seahorse, which the Chinese believe give you "special energy," when consumed. The lady next to us told us there are bigger horses, called "Sea Dragons." Unfortunately this shop didn't have any. After taking a close look, we gave it back to the lady behind the counter.
We made something, which I can only describe as sweet and extremely weird. Originally I set off to buy candy fish, but could only find marshmallow eggs, which Chase dubbed "tadpoles." So it was meant to be an edible ocean, but instead it was more like a little pond with strange, marshmallow eggs in it.
We made soap fish. The girls can't wait to take a bath with their new friends. Chase actually made a soap Whale.
Checked out a relevant book from the library.
Went down to the waterfront to take a closer look at what lives in the ocean.
We also tasted some seafood (at home). We made a delish tuna dish from Annabelle Karmel. The kids have never had tuna before and Chase LOVED it. Mads, who has always been the adventurous eater, has somehow changed her ways and now wants to consume only pasta and yogurt.
I am trying to muster up the energy to take the kids to the beach tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.
Next week we will take a closer look at jungles!
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
I love age 2!
Madoc is doing the sweetest thing at the moment. She will say "sorry, Mama" or "excuse me, Mama," when she wants to talk. She will actually wait if I need her to wait. If I say "Madoc, eat your vegetables," she says, "okay Mama," and she does it. So it all sounds like peaches and roses, but she also has her moments.
Today she was climbing on our chair, which she is "sort of" allowed to do. If she does it a certain way. She isn't allowed to stand on the arm of the chair (for obvious reasons), but she is allowed to jump from the seat to the ground. Because she likes to jump. And because we don't have a trampoline.
So I told her "no, baby danger." As she stepped onto the arm of the chair with both feet, arms spread wide for balance. And she said "watch Mama." And did it again with a big smile. Both times with me saying no, and then I had to go over and show her how to do it properly. And then she did it the wrong way again and said, "see Mama, I told you so."
Seriously.
Today she was climbing on our chair, which she is "sort of" allowed to do. If she does it a certain way. She isn't allowed to stand on the arm of the chair (for obvious reasons), but she is allowed to jump from the seat to the ground. Because she likes to jump. And because we don't have a trampoline.
So I told her "no, baby danger." As she stepped onto the arm of the chair with both feet, arms spread wide for balance. And she said "watch Mama." And did it again with a big smile. Both times with me saying no, and then I had to go over and show her how to do it properly. And then she did it the wrong way again and said, "see Mama, I told you so."
Seriously.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Flowers
This week we decided to take a closer look at flowers.
First stop - the library.
This one was the best book we found:
I copied some of the pages so we could laminate them and keep them around.
Also picked-up little flower window stickers...
Next we talked about the anatomy of flowers, and did a flower craft.
The top flower is Chase's, the bottom is Madoc's.
Then we talked about seeds a little... about poisonous plants and about edible plants. Chase kindly arranged a tasting platter...
Tasted sunflower seeds (Chase liked them, Mads didn't)
Tried poppy seeds (Again, Chase liked them, Mads didn't) ...
And Mads didn't like the pumpkin seed either...
I bought some Chinese chrysanthemums and made tea for the girls.
Chase made a flower journal...
Made poppy seed cake (thanks Brigitte!)
Visited the flower shop to pick up some pots to paint and seeds to plant.
Also on the agenda for today is pressing flowers.
Next week we are going to take a closer look at the ocean.
First stop - the library.
This one was the best book we found:
I copied some of the pages so we could laminate them and keep them around.
Also picked-up little flower window stickers...
Next we talked about the anatomy of flowers, and did a flower craft.
The top flower is Chase's, the bottom is Madoc's.
Then we talked about seeds a little... about poisonous plants and about edible plants. Chase kindly arranged a tasting platter...
Tasted sunflower seeds (Chase liked them, Mads didn't)
Tried poppy seeds (Again, Chase liked them, Mads didn't) ...
And Mads didn't like the pumpkin seed either...
I bought some Chinese chrysanthemums and made tea for the girls.
Chase made a flower journal...
Made poppy seed cake (thanks Brigitte!)
Visited the flower shop to pick up some pots to paint and seeds to plant.
Also on the agenda for today is pressing flowers.
Next week we are going to take a closer look at the ocean.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Madoc Is Diaper-Free! (2 yrs, 5 months)
So I have waited a week to blog about this, because if there is one thing every mother knows, it is that as soon as you say ANYTHING about ANYTHING, the opposite is bound to happen - the winning streak will break and you will find yourself back at square one - if not behind square one.
I have been rolling up the rugs and taking Madoc's diaper away for a day every other month for the last five months - just to test the waters to see if she was "ready yet?" This is not easy, because the rug in our living room is very large and very heavy. So after the first and second time, I've had to look deep inside to find inner strength and motivation to race after Madoc's little bumpkins trying to catch a poo.
And so a week ago, I did it again. And, as usual, she held it in as long as possible, and then held it in another two hours just to see if I would call the doctor in desperation. But just before that point, her bladder had to let it out, and I was lucky enough to get most of it in the potty. She was scared stiff of what happened, but absolutely refused to put her diaper back on. And so the next 24 hours involved her running back to the toilet, sitting with nothing coming out, becoming visibly more uncomfortable, like she was getting sick (started sweating!) but not letting me put her diaper back on.
And so I did something that I told myself I would never, ever, do. Not in a million years. Not for anything. I told her, in a moment of desperation as I saw her eyes turning yellow, that I would give her one marshmallow if she put pee pee in the potty.
And the rest, my friends, is history. The next day there was not a single accident. Nor the next day, or the next day. One afternoon she had two accidents, but I think that was more about the fact Jojo wasn't asking her every 15-minutes if she had to use the potty.
Oh, and we went through a lot of marshmallows, because Chase got one every time, too, for being such a supportive sister.
And now we carry her little potty everywhere we go. It works well here, especially because most public toilets are either holes in the ground or so filthy I wouldn't use it if it was the last potty on earth. But then again, that's what I said about bribing my daughter with candy.
I have been rolling up the rugs and taking Madoc's diaper away for a day every other month for the last five months - just to test the waters to see if she was "ready yet?" This is not easy, because the rug in our living room is very large and very heavy. So after the first and second time, I've had to look deep inside to find inner strength and motivation to race after Madoc's little bumpkins trying to catch a poo.
And so a week ago, I did it again. And, as usual, she held it in as long as possible, and then held it in another two hours just to see if I would call the doctor in desperation. But just before that point, her bladder had to let it out, and I was lucky enough to get most of it in the potty. She was scared stiff of what happened, but absolutely refused to put her diaper back on. And so the next 24 hours involved her running back to the toilet, sitting with nothing coming out, becoming visibly more uncomfortable, like she was getting sick (started sweating!) but not letting me put her diaper back on.
And so I did something that I told myself I would never, ever, do. Not in a million years. Not for anything. I told her, in a moment of desperation as I saw her eyes turning yellow, that I would give her one marshmallow if she put pee pee in the potty.
And the rest, my friends, is history. The next day there was not a single accident. Nor the next day, or the next day. One afternoon she had two accidents, but I think that was more about the fact Jojo wasn't asking her every 15-minutes if she had to use the potty.
Oh, and we went through a lot of marshmallows, because Chase got one every time, too, for being such a supportive sister.
And now we carry her little potty everywhere we go. It works well here, especially because most public toilets are either holes in the ground or so filthy I wouldn't use it if it was the last potty on earth. But then again, that's what I said about bribing my daughter with candy.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Happy To You, Madoc
Madoc has so many words now! And her expressions crack me up, because sometimes she forgets words. For example, for Mother's Day, she kept saying "Happy To You," all day long. And she keeps saying it. And so, of course, I must say "Happy To You, Madoc," which, if you think about it, is a lovely thing to say to anyone - because you have to smile.
Another thing Madoc loves to say is, "My daddy told me..." and then she completes the sentence with whatever it is she wants. Like "My daddy told me to eat cold banana half." She also likes asking for clarification using full sentences, like "Mommy, what is this about?" or "Mommy what is this used for?"
We were watching Curious George and Madoc told me, "My Chasey told me George is going to be okay. My daddy told me he is going to be okay, too." (Seriously? That's a lot to say.)
Mads has also started trying to read the early reader books that Chase is bringing home. At this rate, she will probably be able to read by end of age 3. She is so determined not to miss out on anything.
Her incredibly gorgeous hair, coupled with her beautiful blue eyes make her an irresistible (and oh so smart) toddler. All she has to do is bat her eyelashes (and yes, she knows how), and she's got you wrapped around her little finger (and boy does she have a cute little finger).
Now if only she could figure out how to exactly like her big sister...
Another thing Madoc loves to say is, "My daddy told me..." and then she completes the sentence with whatever it is she wants. Like "My daddy told me to eat cold banana half." She also likes asking for clarification using full sentences, like "Mommy, what is this about?" or "Mommy what is this used for?"
We were watching Curious George and Madoc told me, "My Chasey told me George is going to be okay. My daddy told me he is going to be okay, too." (Seriously? That's a lot to say.)
Mads has also started trying to read the early reader books that Chase is bringing home. At this rate, she will probably be able to read by end of age 3. She is so determined not to miss out on anything.
Her incredibly gorgeous hair, coupled with her beautiful blue eyes make her an irresistible (and oh so smart) toddler. All she has to do is bat her eyelashes (and yes, she knows how), and she's got you wrapped around her little finger (and boy does she have a cute little finger).
Now if only she could figure out how to exactly like her big sister...
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Tai Po Cycling
Today we went cycling in Tai Po with friends. It was FABULOUS.
The lovely Charlotte and Elissa...
Colin and Audrey - Ready, Steady, Go!
Too much fun! And we haven't left the parking lot yet...
You have to get up the hill first (feel the burn!) ... but after that, it's lovely!
The view ...
Zoom, zoom!
Such a great excursion! After cycling across the dam, we enjoyed a splendid picnic - complete with hot pasta and soup. YUM!
This has to be one of the best family excursions in/around Hong Kong - but definitely not something you'd want to do in the blazing sun.
The lovely Charlotte and Elissa...
Colin and Audrey - Ready, Steady, Go!
Too much fun! And we haven't left the parking lot yet...
You have to get up the hill first (feel the burn!) ... but after that, it's lovely!
The view ...
Zoom, zoom!
Such a great excursion! After cycling across the dam, we enjoyed a splendid picnic - complete with hot pasta and soup. YUM!
This has to be one of the best family excursions in/around Hong Kong - but definitely not something you'd want to do in the blazing sun.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
School
Chase is now reading and writing with relative ease. She does get stumped on words of course, but she powers through in most cases and seems to retain the correction days/weeks later.
I had my second parent/teacher conference yesterday and the only thing she isn't "exceeding expectations" on is throwing a ball. Because she throws it up, instead of forward. Her teacher told me she thinks she will be bored in Primary 1, which she begins in the fall. She also told me she could probably test into Primary 2, but that the down side of being youngest in the class may not be worth it - and I agree. From what I've seen with Madoc (born Dec, so youngest in class), I would say it's definitely worth arranging things so that your child is as strong a player as possible in his/her class.
I am so proud of her - she's accomplished so much. Her attitude toward learning is sunny, bright and she is highly motivated. And now she's off to the big school. And so I arranged a meeting with the guy in charge to talk about the syllabus and mandarin. Turns out she can already do what most kids achieve by the end of P1 and will probably be way ahead by September. Mandarin is worrisome because it is only 20 min a day and very basic, but I may have come up with a solution that doesn't rock the boat too much.
All in all I think her education will be decent, but I will have to come up with ways to supplement it outside of school (shocker).
I had my second parent/teacher conference yesterday and the only thing she isn't "exceeding expectations" on is throwing a ball. Because she throws it up, instead of forward. Her teacher told me she thinks she will be bored in Primary 1, which she begins in the fall. She also told me she could probably test into Primary 2, but that the down side of being youngest in the class may not be worth it - and I agree. From what I've seen with Madoc (born Dec, so youngest in class), I would say it's definitely worth arranging things so that your child is as strong a player as possible in his/her class.
I am so proud of her - she's accomplished so much. Her attitude toward learning is sunny, bright and she is highly motivated. And now she's off to the big school. And so I arranged a meeting with the guy in charge to talk about the syllabus and mandarin. Turns out she can already do what most kids achieve by the end of P1 and will probably be way ahead by September. Mandarin is worrisome because it is only 20 min a day and very basic, but I may have come up with a solution that doesn't rock the boat too much.
All in all I think her education will be decent, but I will have to come up with ways to supplement it outside of school (shocker).
Seat belt
Madoc's sense of humor keeps me rolling. This morning (I was on the toilet), she pulled out a long line(?) of toilet paper and gently set it across my lap. Then she took a step back, looked at me, smiled and said "seat belt."
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Trip To US - Portland
Following are the photos from our trip to Portland. We are so grateful to our friends and family for making such a wonderful trip. I'm sorry I didn't get pictures of everyone we saw!!! Next time....
This one was taken after dinner at a good friend's house - Whit and Tara, I spared us all by not posting the pics Hubs took of the three of us. Apologies to Matt again for throwing food at him. I promise to behave myself next time.
My dear, dear friend, Heidi who drove down from Seattle (I love you, miss you!)...
Her dad, Dave ....
Her mom, Allen, who was a strong roll-model for me while I was growing up...
Allen must have read six books to Chase... Chase wanted at least 60 more...
And then to Freya's house... She had such a great backyard, which included a little house...
A secret trail...
Logs to jump across...
I met Freya (below) and Sarah when I was four! Now Freya has two gorgeous daughters and Sarah has two little boys and a beautiful little girl (although I somehow did not get a picture of them all together!)
Later... a walk with Auntie Lockett...
Time with Nana...
I love this picture of Chase...
And I love this picture of Mads...
Had a super fabulous time with Grandpa Mark at OMSI...
Chase took some pics of us back at Courtney and Lockett's place...
And a great pic of our little nephew, Ajax! Cute stuff! We miss you!
And then the hard part.... we had to say goodbye... to Grandpa Mark...
To Nana Cris...
Hmmm, any similarity?
To Uncle Courtney...
To Auntie Lockett...
And then we boarded the plane, and tried our best to "get comfortable" for our 17 hour trip home...
This one was taken after dinner at a good friend's house - Whit and Tara, I spared us all by not posting the pics Hubs took of the three of us. Apologies to Matt again for throwing food at him. I promise to behave myself next time.
My dear, dear friend, Heidi who drove down from Seattle (I love you, miss you!)...
Her dad, Dave ....
Her mom, Allen, who was a strong roll-model for me while I was growing up...
Allen must have read six books to Chase... Chase wanted at least 60 more...
And then to Freya's house... She had such a great backyard, which included a little house...
A secret trail...
Logs to jump across...
I met Freya (below) and Sarah when I was four! Now Freya has two gorgeous daughters and Sarah has two little boys and a beautiful little girl (although I somehow did not get a picture of them all together!)
Later... a walk with Auntie Lockett...
Time with Nana...
I love this picture of Chase...
And I love this picture of Mads...
Had a super fabulous time with Grandpa Mark at OMSI...
Chase took some pics of us back at Courtney and Lockett's place...
And a great pic of our little nephew, Ajax! Cute stuff! We miss you!
And then the hard part.... we had to say goodbye... to Grandpa Mark...
To Nana Cris...
Hmmm, any similarity?
To Uncle Courtney...
To Auntie Lockett...
And then we boarded the plane, and tried our best to "get comfortable" for our 17 hour trip home...
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