Labor Day Weekend 2020

 Finally a break from the first 3 weeks of school.  We are back at remote learning again and it's been rough.  Now that Alice started school, she is also adjusting and learning to work with her chromebook and learning how to use computers at age 5.  Adam is now in 2nd grade and Alice started kinder at Plymouth.  What is so nice now is that we are able to watch Sleepy enter into the senior phase of his life.  He needs assistance now to get up.  He eliminates by accident 1 out of 2 times unless we make an effort to walk him out longer.  He lies down most of the day...I miss his energy and he has anxiety with people coming to the house.  I want to hold on to him for a few more years.....

A wildfire happened near us this weekend.  It was supposed to be a fun and hot weekend with the cousins.  We all agreed to get a water slide for the kids and boy did the kids had fun.  You can actually see the fire starting in this photo...

    The year 2020 has been filled with situations that lead to discovery of myself, my families and my friends.  The past 9 months are challenging but also came with new responsibilities, new opportunities and new understandings of our world.  I grew up being informed that there are a lot of bad people in this world.  A lot of greedy people, selfish people, and the world is ugly, dirty and it is dangerous.  But in my lifetime, I met and grew up with a lot of good people. I married one.  I befriended many.  Even though the pandemic has shut down so many doors and caused so much paranoia and fear in people, the good always prevails.   There are more good people in this world and there are many people we can trust .  People took risks to stand on the streets and protests for issues that matter most to them even though it was “not safe”.  Today, with this fire near our neighborhood, friends opened their doors and offered us to stay even if we haven’t seen them in months because ultimately, lives matter.   It means so much for those who reached out and wanted to help us during this time.  Feel loved.

Amber learned how to swim!

I am so proud of this little girl.  We thought Alice learned how to swim early  (at 4) but here, Amber always just exceeds our usual expectations.  She learned how to swim at 3 and saved us a ton of money on swimming lessons.  Took her about 2 sessions with me that she was brave enough to jump in/out without a floaty.  A lot of high pitch screaming, but all worth it. 



Even during these unprecedented times with limited social outings and places to go to, we are lucky to have family and friends who are healthy and happy to spend time with us.   It was Jolie's first birthday this weekend and the kids had a great time indulging all the candies.  Adam even said that he was experiencing a sugar rush.  Adam and Jordan cheered with the lollipop.  We invited Gautum and Ahana over to swim and they had a great time. 

This water table has been collecting dust an dirt up until this weekend.  I rinsed it and they still had so much fun! 

Ballet class with Amber at 9AM on Saturday.  She was so sweet to bring her ballet classmates her egg waffle cookies.  I take no credit for her generosity.

Alice decorated her pink bed with all her pink things.

Adam made his lunch with his class!

Biking on Royal Oak

We started biking again on the trail because Alice's bike is finally fixed.  She's getting really good but she needs a faster bike to catch up with us!

Scott's 9mm Kidney Stone

Scott's surgery for his kidney stone removal was at 6:45AM.  We both woke up earlier than usual to make sure he arrives on time.  When I came home, the kids all got ready rather quickly because they wanted to eat the pancakes at Jakes!  Currently, only patio dining is allowed and we were lucky to get a table outside.  Because of the increase of cases over the last few weeks, all indoor dining is closed until further notice.   The man sitting across from us told me a quarter of his life story already.  He saw me with the three kids and then showed me 9 fingers.  At first I thought he wants to tell me that he has 9 grandkids but he has 9 kids!! He lived in Monrovia all his life and his kids are all over the place.  I miss these stories from strangers.  I learned some of the most logical and sound advise from strangers whom i just met once.  

  

Here they are super excited about the Jakes Country Breakfast!

Scott was ready to be picked up by 11-12PM.  He was in a lot of pain because they put a stent inside of him. I had to wait quite a bit more when I arrived at the Kaiser Outpatient Irwindale location because he felt dizzy and in pain.  The operation went well and successful, but he was in pain for the next two days.  Until most of the crumbs/stones passed - he felt much much better.

Weekend of 7-11 and 7-12

Adam is on his first cabin trip! He went to Big Bear/Lake Arrowhead with his best friend Nicholas, his mom, brother and wife, and his grandma.  I am excited for him that he gets to be away from home and on his own the very first time for 3.5 days!  He gets to stay at a very nice house built on a tree.  We all miss him, especially his sisters.   The weekend was very calm and quiet without Adam in the house. He isnt even that noisy normally because he would be on the computer playing prodigy or watching minecraft.  

Let's start with Saturday:

- Amber returned to her ballet class and had to wear a mask of course.  It was a class of 3 girls and we couldnt stay to watch.  Alice and I took her and we went to get some juice during her class.  Alice really wanted to pick up Amber but got trapped inside the car when i went to pick her up.  She wasnt very happy about that.  

- Alice had her art class without her brother the very first time.  She is always the independent one and had no problem going in and out of the class by herself today.

- We had so much bbq items left over from last weekend, we had to do a take two.  The menu consisted of Beyond Burger, Grilled Okra (my new favorite), grilled enoki, burger on cheesecake factory buns, rib eye, garlic/lime/fish sauce/shrimp.  Wanted to make the soy bean sheet but that was a big fail.  The sheet was way too old and wouldnt melt!  Need to try again because I have been craving for that!

Last weekend that it was still maybe OK to gather.....

First time Biking and tuning in to Cocomelon's "I can do it"

We invited the cousins over to play because the first week was so hard to adapt to isolation.  Playdates are pretty much forbidden.  Only family might be OK to still meet.  But after today, the ban goes from 50 to 10 only. Meaning - we can't even eat at the in laws now on Sundays.

Alice has been helping me a lot at the kitchen.  When she helps, of course Amber wants to help.  Alice is a doer - she is go-getter to the extreme, does not ask for permission and has the ultimate just do it attitude.

Big girl Alice turns 5 with her Boba cake!

Week 2 - March 16 to 20

The kids have been enjoying their time learning while we were working at the office.  The best part about the beginning of this week was we were still able to dine out for lunch.

double fisting her dim sum at Capital Seafood.  We were one of the three patrons at the place!

It was so quiet and the dim sum was soooo good.

Alice fell into the pool and luckily - she knew how to swim.  She was taking water out from a bucket and fell in at the deep end.  She told me that she had channeled in Elsa and swam upward. Adam pulled her out of the water and this was a photo I had to take before I stripped her out of her soaking wet clothes and shoes so we can remember this scary moment.

Shelter in Place Order Issued - March 19

The days are already becoming a blur with uncertainties.  I am not so worried as I know the bubble I like in will be safer than others to say the least.  By March 19 - the Governor issued the stay at home order, demanding everyone to be at home in order to flatten the curve.   Coincidentally, we gathered everyone around at work to discuss how this might affect all of us.  Sure enough by March 20 - some businesses are closed until further notice. 

Masks were still not very acceptable to used at public places at this time.  It also didnt help much when all Masks are sold out since February.

A lot of homeschooling and kids material started to appear on my instagram feed and I had to mentally start to prepare on how to keep the kids learning and occupied - while I am still working. 

Amber still had her first ballet class with a new studio I found in Monrovia, which we still attended. She had so much fun but there was a big expectation that she wouldn't be able to continue after her first class.

Last week of School before Lock Down

The corona virus is gradually spreading to the US now.  The schools have been taking temperatures every morning and sending those home with fevers.  None of us were sick and did not know what is going to happen by the end of this week.

Business was still normal but there are definitely paranoia of going to Chinese restaurants already and people avoid Chinese people.  Northern California's number of cases were increasing and they are issuing orders of restricting gatherings of over 250 people.  Sporting events and Disneyland are going to close.

By the end of day on Friday, Schools across the state announced closure across California.    To me, and to most parents - that means the kids will be at home - learning.  At that time, we planned a one day trip to Palm Springs which will be cancelled.

On the last day of School before closure, I asked Alice's class to sing her Happy birthday because she won't be able to celebrate with her friends this year....

Amber's 3rd Birthday Party - Pamela Park - Duarte, CA

As I am blogging about this day almost a month from the event, a lot has changed.  At the time when we planned this birthday party, the corona virus is already spreading in the US, but there wasn't a stay a home order in place.  

We didn't tell Amber about the party and she had no idea we were going to celebrate HER today.  We picked this park that was 5 minutes away from our house and the shelter and tables were offered on a first come first serve basis.  I went there at 8:30am and started to set up with balloons, flowers and snacks and fun things for the kids to do.  We invited the whole class and requested no gift but only a used book and donation to her ballet class.  Most complied but some still brought clothes and toys for little Amber.  The kids have ever been to this park so I knew that they can play for hours and hours.  The kids were dropped off at 9:30am and Amber was so happy to see her "new" used bike and Adam and Alice were so excited to just PLAY!

We stayed at the park until after 1 and she had the BEST time eating her favorite things and seeing ALL her friends from the Class of Love.  We met a lot of the parents from her class and it was so nice to meet them all.  We bought her chocolate cake from a private baker in Sierra Madre which was overloaded with too much chocolate!  She passed out to her deep nap by the time i reached Baldwin Avenue, hugging her minnie mouse box given by Yee Ma!

I have been really tired of planning a party after the ones we did for Adam but Amber deserved a party more than anyone else. 

Catering: Costco Chicken Bake, Pizza, Rotisserie Chicken, Stonefire Grill
Favors: Replay Cups

Japalato

I used to keep a journal and I would write about the most boring-est things.  Like - what I did during the day, what I ate and that's about it.  Now with the kids, there is so much to keep track of - what each one of them like, what they like to eat, what they say.  I wish I can just store it automatically somewhere.

Today - Ms. Cornford called and said Adam had a fever of 99.1.  Scott went to pick him up and turned out he was just having a really bad dry cough.  He also picked up both girls and took them to the office.  Adam went straight to playing his favorite game - Plant v. Zombie and Alice likes to watch her brother.  Alice's favorite character is the jalapeno, which initially, they called it JAPALATO. 

In the car today, we all talked about what kind of restaurant we would open.  Adam wants to open one just like Souplantation.  He said I ll work at the kitchen, Alice says she will help me make the food, Adam will be the register.  And then he thought about having a farm in the back of the restaurant where we can just get the food from there.  How clever is this farm to table concept.  It sounds so much better than the now souplantation.

We all went to try this new restaurant Chef Z which wasnt very good.  Everyone went straight to the bathroom when we got home.