Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
These last few weeks have went by in a blur. Work is going very very good! Will elaborate more on that some other time. All the hard work and sleepless nights may not be completely worth it (I LOVE my sleep…), but wow, we’re getting places!! I love it.
Tomorrow’s the last day of preschool for the kids. Tonight we have a little program for Sebastian’s class. I think he’s going to do well performing, unlike last year’s “graduation” event.
Summer is supposed to be here by now, but the weather keeps going up and down like a friggin yo-yo.
Hope you’re all doing great! Did you have a nice Mother’s Day?
My Mother’s Day was spent in the Mega Mall and then driving many hours with 2 preschoolers in tow. They aren’t even 5 years old and yet the back-and-forth screaming matches are full fledged. I dread to think what the teenage-years will bring.
Signing off for now,
Queen of Disjointed and Bullet-point Blogging
Sunday, May 4th, 2008
Sebastian: “Fiona, this is how you belch . . .Urrrrrrrrrrrrrgh.”
Fiona giggles, and follows it with a not-so-convincing “Urrrrrrrrrrrrgh“
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
I’m sorry I made everyone worry! As a thank you, I give you an eyeful to feast on. Healthy eats and quick bites. 
Click on images to enlarge.
Spinach salad.
Mix spinach, cubed apples and cubed strawberries together with salad dressing. Sprinkle with pine nuts, procchiuto (how the F is that spelled!), and cheese.
Fried rice
Scramble a few eggs, put aside into a bowl. Brown whatever leftover meat you have, add peas, carrots, and whatever veggies you want in there (broccoli tastes very good, also onions but I don’t do onions). Add cooked rice and the scrambled eggs, mix well. Add salt, pepper, a tad of soy sauce, and a couple drops of sesame seed oil.
Eating these dishes at the same meal does not result in the greatest satisfaction.
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Hi! Remember me? I’ve missed you.
I’d tell you that it’s been a fun couple of weeks in the Greek Islands, or Hawaii, or somewhere WARM, but truth is, I’ve been here in Iowa all along. Haven’t gone anywhere and nobody is gravely ill so thank goodness for that. But I’ve had it with this weather. I know I complained every winter when we lived in Minnesota but this feels just like Minnesota winter / fickle spring. WTH. Did it follow me here?!
In any case, things are rolling along here. Very busy with work, the kids, and not folding our washed laundry.
Today I heard from a long lost friend (HI!) and she’s going to move here in a few months! Her work is going to be literally within walking distance to our house! Well, 15 minutes is walking distance right? I think we mid-westerners are really spoiled with driving everywhere, but I can’t seem to bring myself to walk anywhere when (a) it takes a while to walk anywhere (b) it’s so darn cold (c) no one else do it around here so we’d look like lost souls strolling the sidewalks. It was good to hear from her and even better that she’s moving here soon. Very excited! She’s one of the few people I know who can out-talk me, when I’m in the talkative mode. I think we’ll have a great time! Oh yes, she has never met our kids yet. We did see each other when I was pregnant with our now 4.5 yr old son; that’s how long I haven’t seen her.
Did I also mention my in-laws are coming this summer? All the way from Malaysia? I can’t wait for summer, in more ways than one. Seriously, I have a great set of in-laws and we get along fabulously, most of the time.
If this is not the most disjointed post EVER, I don’t know what is.
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
but look! It’s above 40F!!! In fact, it’s in the 60’s. Wheeeeeeeeeeeee.
Current weather: sunny & windy, 67F. Hallelujah!
Current time: 4:30p.m.
Mood: perplexed.
Times I’ve second guessed myself today: more than a handful.
Hours slept last night: ~3.5
Taxes: sent.
Friday, April 11th, 2008
It’s the last weekend before taxes are due. (For those of you who are reading from outside of the US, April 15th is when taxes are due each year)
Guess what I will be doing these few days?? Sometimes procrastination isn’t the best thing to do.
Are yours done yet?
Friday, April 11th, 2008
The kids were on my Mac this morning as I slept in a little longer (1). The two of them came to get me later on, and the older one proceeded to tell me “Mama, I forgot I should not draw on your computer.”
Raised eyebrows, groggy puffy eyed, I said “Draw on my computer? Where and why?”
“I forgot I should not!” He pleaded.
Decided it’s no use to argue without seeing the damage.
Minutes later, I’m very upset. The screen has several long RED LINES across it. I tried to remove them with my dry fingers - nothing.
Frustrated. Stew by self. Sit and read emails, eat breakfast.(2) Still frustrated, having to read through the RED LINES on the screen.
Kids on the floor playing with some toys. “Guys, please take it upstairs to play there” is met with silence. Typical. (WHY do kids not hear us / respond when we need them to???)
I lost it. I went down and cupped his face with my hands “DID YOU NOT HEAR ME?(3) TAKE. THIS. UP. STAIRS. TO. PLAY!”
Traits of Worst Mother:
(1) Sleep in while the kids run rampant.
(2) Eat breakfast at the computer instead of eating and talking to them.
(3) Shouting at the kids.
Friday, April 11th, 2008
It rained all night last night, and all day today. Numerous really loud thunders rocked the house.
All this rain is great for the grass and trees. I expect spring is finally around the corner. Let’s hope so.
BTW, where (and how!) did the phrase “raining cats & dogs” come from anyway??
Thursday, April 10th, 2008
I’m not going to apologize talking about KangarooBoo on here. It’s not shameless that I talk about my business here - I started this blog way before we started KangarooBoo. I don’t see any shame in talking about something that takes up so much of my time. And KangarooBoo is our third baby. I just wanted to clear that out for all intent and purposes, for future references, and for just in case.
Anyway, I wanted to tell you some of the things we’ve been busying with in the last few months.
We’ve added several brands and literally hundreds of new products to our selections. Brands that we’ve added:
* Petitcollin
* Plan Toys
* Boon
* Green Toys
Petitcollin was founded in 1860, almost 150 years ago! Petitcollin dolls are made in France, the last French factory of dolls that’s still in operation. I adore these dolls. They have a sweet but not overwhelming vanilla smell to them, they are phthalate free dolls and many of them can be used as bath dolls. The best is they have a large selection of boy dolls and ethnic dolls that are usually hard to find!
A few of the Petitcollin dolls. Click here to see more
Plan Toys create toys that inspire imagination as well as promote children’s physical and intellectual development along with being socially & environmentally responsible and maintaining good values. Plan Toys are made from sustainable rubberwood. Trees that produce rubber eventually cease to produce rubber, those trees are then cut down to make room for new ones. Instead of burning the trees like the old practice used to do, these trees are now being used for all kinds of things, including making toys! Fun toys, eco-friendly practices and great value. What’s not to love about Plan Toys??
Boon feeding products are phthalate free, BPA free, and they look really nice and modern. Boon bath products are awesome too. After we started using Flo a year ago, no more bathtub injuries by the stupid faucet! The kids love LOVE using the Fluid sippy cup. The only drawback on the sippy cup is, it cannot be tipped over inside a bag or the liquid will spill out. We’ve been able to get Fiona to drink a lot more water by leaving it around the house near her height level or taking it on walks. The ergonomic design allows her to grab the bottle one-handed really well!
Lastly, Green Toys. Absolutely green, eco-friendly, and completely safe. These toys are made from recycled milk jugs (not kidding!). All made and packaged in California. Not only is it keeping jobs right here in the US, but it’s also reducing carbon imprint caused by enormous amounts of shipping back and forth to overseas countries.
We’ve also added hundreds and hundreds of new items to our already existing brands: Haba, Vilac, Flensted Mobiles, Zid Zid Kids, Vulli, Melissa and Doug, Maple Landmark, Fred & Friends and Estia. Whew. That was a mouth full. Trying to organize it and fit it all in place is even harder!
As always, you can see the new arrival products (being added daily! so check back often) by viewing it here. We send out an occasional newsletter periodically to let people know about new products, and or discounts. Sign up if you’re inclined to get the latest news. The sign up box is at the bottom of most pages on our website.
I originally planned to talk about another very important thing too, but this post is longer than I anticipated. So I’ll talk about that next time.
Thank you to those of you who’ve supported and continue to support us by purchasing toys and products from KangarooBoo, and or by telling others about us. You know who you are! We truly truly appreciate it.
Saturday, April 5th, 2008
I was exhausted from today. Saturday’s my day to take care of the kids, alone. Usually I’m pretty good and can last another few hours to do some work after the kids go to bed. But tonight I felt very tired. They are both sick, Fiona more so than Seb, and she lied on me / hung onto me for majority of the day. At one point I even called the clinic to see what we can do to ease her discomfort - she’s feverish, no appetite, limpy, lethargic, and not the active toddler that we see everyday.
My throat hurts like a *.*.
Summer please come already. I hate this hot, cold, hot, cold weather inducing all kinds of things happening to our bodies.
Friday, April 4th, 2008
Do you know what a toddler diet is? Have you heard of it too AND you practice it? For those of you fortunate people who have no idea what I’m talking about, be glad.
A toddler diet is one where your little picky eaters leave all kinds of food on the plate and you, you feel the need to finish it because you feel guilty if you let it go to waste. THERE ARE STARVING PEOPLE IN CHINA (or name another country) YOU KNOW. And I know, because I was one of them. And this happens on a pretty regular basis because, some days they will eat a lot while other days they eat nothing but cheerios. It also depends on what kind of things you’ve made. If it’s bacon - forget it - there wouldn’t be any left for you.
I hope things are different once they start kindergarten.
***
Dear Kids,
Mama love you both lots. But will you please please please try to finish your meals? Or at least, most of the time? When I was your age, I had very little to eat and this is why I’m so tiny. Not that tiny is a bad thing, but you will definitely have a better advantage if you are tall. I want you to grow into healthy tall grownups and you need all the nutrients to make that happen.
Not to mention I wouldn’t be grinding my teeth and going up the wall as often.
Love,
Mama
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
When we were living in the previous house, we had a very nice mail delivery person. Our house was on a dead-end street and everyone knew everyone else, mostly. It was an older neighborhood, the houses were much older and the yards were big. We played outside whenever the weather was nice. Often times we’d see the mail truck coming and we’d get the mail from the mailman. He’d drive slow up to the end of our driveway, and hand us the mail. And never fails to say hi to us.
Since our move to this house last spring, when the weather was still nice we played in the backyard most of the time. The street we’re on now is a very busy through street and a lot of traffic pass by our house all the time. It’s not as kid friendly, and it just doesn’t feel very nice to be outside when cars are zooming past. And for the past 2 gazillion months we’ve had sucky weather. Outside time is next to zilch. That’s the long explanation to say, we don’t know our current delivery person very well.
What we DO know is, we can hear her from 3+ streets over. The truck/van that she drives is SO LOUD and she presses on the gas so hard, we can literally hear when she’s delivering mail in our neighborhood. She goes from mailbox to mailbox, and in the short 20 feet distance between houses, she has to accelerate on the gas pedal from 0 to 50 and back to 0 mph.
I find it interesting how the two drivers are so different (or is it simply her truck is just REALLY loud??) and how the two neighborhoods exude such different energy.
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
Sudden realization: Business and Busyness only differs in ONE LETTER.
Current time: 12:40a.m.
Current mood: hungry and sleepy.
I just thought you might want to know these crucial facts.
OK back to work. Oh the busyness in business..
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
In 5th grade, my brother and I moved to the city to live with our grandmother, so we could attend a better school (I was still living in China). This was where I met M, who was also in my class among 60 some other kids. I do understand that smaller class size would allow the teachers to give more attention students - but that’s unheard of in the city we lived. Class sizes were generally 50-70. Can you imagine 60+ some kids in one class, with one teacher???
M lived about 5 sky rises away from my grandmother’s and she was everything I wanted to be. Her parents were artists, quite sophisticated people who lived sophisticated and luxurious lives. Both her and her brother were also rather artistic and had entered in drawing competitions etc. Their house was at the top floor, knocking down the wall in-between and joining 2 flats into one extremely large one.
Coming from the countryside having lived peasant-style lives, M’s house was a castle to me. There were leather sofa and chairs, big screen TV (in color!), nice decorations, gorgeous rugs!, big refrigerator with loads of goodies, and very comfortable cushion-y mattresses. I’ve never slept on a mattress before - my bed was a giant piece of hard wood plank topped with bamboo liner in the summer and an old thick blanket in the winter. She even had her own desk, with nice posters hanging all around her room.
Despite our vast different material backgrounds, M and I got along rather nicely. My personality and M’s were very similar. We both liked to wear shorts more than skirts and didn’t take to the girly frilly things that some of our peers did. Since her house was on the way to school, I usually stopped by and wait for her, and we’d walk to school together. She would show me all the places along the way - this store’s ice cream was really good, or that bookstore had some great books but they’ll scold you if you go in to read and not buy, etc. Some days we would take the long route, skipping along the rice paddies to admire the birds and bugs. Other days there were other girls joining us to walk to school. M and I were very good friends, she knew my secrets and which boys I liked. I knew who she dreamed about and would go give them lots of “hints.” We had loads of fun together, doing homework at her house, watching TV and or bouncing on the bed.
She never once looked down on me because of my poor background.
After I moved to the US 1.5 years later, we kept in touch via letters. (This was pre-internet days). It was lovely and I missed her and my other friends dearly. We kept in touch for a very very very long time, until we both graduated college. We visited each other both times I went back to China (in a total of 19 years..) We just seemed to pick up where we left off and continue right on. She’s forever a giving soul and my heart always has a place for her. She’s now married as well, with a one-year old son. We don’t talk very much - but I know she’s doing fine and are busy with her adult life and parenthood. I haven’t seen her in nearly 9 years. I miss her and think of her from time to time.
She’s the sister I never had but wish I did. I am so fortunate to have her in my life, albeit how infrequent we get to talk with or see each other.
Sunday, March 30th, 2008
Cut a few holes in a box, it suddenly becomes a house with windows! And now it’s time to paint them rooms!
My little artists hard at work:
With paints from this selection. After it’s all done and tattered from playing with for days, recycle the boxes.
