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.
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.
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.
Friday, March 28th, 2008
Our daughter Fiona is 2.5 yrs old and still sleeps in a crib. She has been able to get into the crib if the ledge is down; she’ll climb and go head first and slide down slowly. However she has never climbed out of the crib by herself, whether the ledge is up or down. Ever.
A few days ago Hubby thought what a great idea it would be for our daughter to learn how to get in and out of the crib by herself, when the ledge is down. After all, it’s not like she doesn’t climb everything else with full confidence. Except the crib, until now.
As Hubby watched and cheered on, Fiona cautiously climbs out of the crib, taking every step and move ever so carefully, and making sure she’s gripping onto something before she lets go of another part of the railing. She was SO proud of herself when she finally landed on the outside of the crib! She’s been watching her big brother climb in and out of the crib all the time and this is the first time she’s ever been able to climb out of the crib!!! Hooray Fiona!
Ah yes, you can see where this is going.
For the last 3 mornings, instead of being woken up by a shrilling call of “MaMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”, I found our lovely girl standing by our bedside when I opened my eyes each morning. Yes the railing was all the way UP for the entire night - and it was still up when I took her to her room to change her diaper.
Tonight, after putting her to bed, she climbed out of her crib not once, but twice, to visit us in the office downstairs.
I seriously hope this is not going to develop into a habit. One bad sleeper for 4+ years is really really bad already. I don’t need another one to start now.
Thursday, March 27th, 2008
Care for a cup of tea with this?
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
This is one of my lists for March’s theme of “Lists” for nablopomo, which I am miserably failing at keeping up and or writing lists at least once a day. April’s theme is “Letters.” Go here if you want the details.
Chemo sessions I had: 12
Duration of each chemo session: 3-5 hours via IV
Frequency of chemo: Once every 14 days
Days I was bedridden from chemo: ~72 days
Times I puked from having chemo: 432 - 864 (that figures about 6-12 times each of the 72 days)
Hair lost: every strand on head & body except eyebrows
Neupogen shots I received to boost my system so chemo wouldn’t be delayed: 48
Radiation therapy sessions: 10
Duration of radiation: 45 seconds front & 45 seconds back (kind of like roasting or grilling) I think it was 45 seconds.. can’t remember now.
Preparation time before radiation: 15 minutes
Lives we’ve been gifted as a result of all the above: 3 (my very own, and our 2 children)
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
And here’s the proof, in a quiz!
* * *
Your quiz score makes you: Smarty Pants Mom
Smart parents like you have smart kids. They need plenty of intellectual stimulation and you provide them with all they need, plus lots of love. You know how to help them with algebra homework, and you are superior at kissing boo-boos.
* * *
How about you, what’s your ranking?
Monday, March 17th, 2008
I came upon this Disease Risk Index page at Harvard.edu
I was intrigued and wanted to see what it would say about my risk of cancer, and see if the test is accurate or remotely accurate. However, I was dismayed when I had to answer “yes” to the 2nd question, which in essence screws up the entire survey and prove the survey useless. Also, the list of cancer was limited. (I did not look at the other diseases)
The whole bit about cancer is that, you (you as in, anyone and everyone) just don’t effin know if you will get it or not. There are too many exceptions, preventing any real cause/effect scenarios, hypotheses or theories to be drawn. You could be as healthy for your entire life (like me), and bam! the next thing you know, they’re tell you about your new cancer diagnose. Or you could be a chimney, chain, nonstop smoker / second hand smoking / whatever else, and you never ever get sick from anything. Ever.
It’s like playing Russian Roulette.
Oh sure the assessments might work for some people. But for the majorities, I think it’s a crap shoot.
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
This came from Marla, and Average Jane and Neena, and.. I think that’s about it. Better late than never! So here goes,
Basically I write 7 things about myself. And tag you guys to do it too. Feel free to be tagged and make your own list.
1. I must be the one driving, otherwise I get carsick easily.
2. I usually prefer silence to music (unless I’m in the car - see above - I’m the driver, especially long distance). Hubby is the exact opposite and wants music anywhere and everywhere.
3. When my hair is long, I’ll want to chop it off. When it’s short, I’ll want it long. Right now. I drive myself silly.
4. On my left hand, my head line (or brain line) and heart line intersects and makes a straight fold. In another words, if I put my hand faced up and pull all 4 fingers towards me, there’s a nice straight trench across the entirety of my palm. I’m not into palm reading, but find this interesting and I have a few family members who have the same thing.
5. I am the same weight as I was before any pregnancies and babies (+/- 2 lbs), but my shirt and pant sizes both have gone up at least 2 sizes. What’s up with that???!!!
6. Food is my good friend. Good food is my BFF.
7. I’m not as articulate in person as I would like to be. Oh I can talk, (boy can I talk, my friend Laura is about the only one who can out-talk me) just not as articulate as I would like.
Sunday, March 9th, 2008
Do you have a lot of idling time? Are you good at riddles and uncovering clues? Want to win some cool prizes? Head on over to MOO and join in the Easter egg hunt fun (online and offline!) Go read their blog for details, and clues and rules and so forth. I’ve attempted at a few of them, but was not the first on any of them 
Have fun. Oh - if you win a prize, let me know so I can celebrate along with you.
Saturday, March 8th, 2008
I saw this a while ago at Just Chicken Feed, and thought I would do it too just to verify that yes, indeed, I don’t lead a very exciting life.
Items in BOLD are things that I have done, with commentary in parentheses.
* * *
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain. (Yep, nearly summited on Mount Kinabalu. Went half way and stopped because I felt a little sick..)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper (Alrighty then)
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity (Still doing it now and will continue to do so)
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can (This is a rather healthy form of release IMO)
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love - with that person!
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day (Did this for 6 out of every 14 days while having chemo, for 6 months. Does that count?)
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theatre
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business (If you’re new to my blog, this is the business)
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight (What’s D&D?? Ahh OK. The answer is no. But I have done other things for far longer than that)
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch (This is one of many favorite activities at our house)
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice (If the Vegas version counts, then yes)
80. Gotten a tattoo (tattoo DOTS my friend. 3 tiny dots, for radiation therapy alignment purposes)
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on a television news program as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently (2 languages, 3.5 dialects)
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold (Twice. Once in church, and once while soaking in the bathtub)
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (Need at least both hands to count)
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray (Ate one too, at a restaurant, here in the US!)
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild (Morel mushrooms, but I can’t remember what they taste like or where I had them)
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (Hubby did, before we met)
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period (now I wish!)
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi (One of my favorite foods)
128. Had your picture in the newspaper (Need two hands to count these. You know it’s all for good stuff, right?)
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
l131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (More than once)
137. Skipped all your school reunions (Missed both times so far, not intentional though)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (Um, Well, it was inescapable. See the two previous posts here and here, and the “about me” page and.. )
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts (Hubby did this many times before)
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head (Not on purpose. Had to after 2 chemo sessions.)
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life (does a bird count?)
* * *
So I counted the items. Turns out I’ve done less than 1/3 of these things (48 to be exact). See, not very exciting.
