having fun w/photo booth

it's fun to do photo booth with kids b/c they get a kick out of every little bulge, dent, twirl, mirror, squeeze, etc.

these are from a lazy sunday evening... "lazy" b/c it's cold outside (actually, snowing) so we don't want to do anything and and we can't watch extreme makeover: home edition as we normally do on sunday nights.

robyn's $1.25

robyn: mommy, thank you for being a teacher b/c it's a hard job. 

(then gives me a hug.)

me:       how do you know that it's hard?

robyn: i just know.

robyn: mommy, do you have to pay for me to go to a school.

me: yes.

robyn: everyday?

me: well, i don't pay everyday, but i pay all at once to pay for every day of school.  i mean, the teachers and staff at school have to get paid.  they won't/can't work for free.

she rummages through the drawer, and a min later she comes back.

robyn: mommy, it's not much.  but here's $1.25.

me: what's this?

robyn: it's to pay for you for being my teacher.

i wanted to burst out laughing and tell her daddy what she just did.  but i didn't say anything to her (or to dad) b/c i know she feels embarrassed when i compliment her for her act of kindness.  i wanted to tell her to just keep it and save it.  but i just smiled and reluctantly took her money.

man, how sweet is she?  a few weeks ago, she's even offered to buy me my next new car for my birthday.  and for lauren's birthday, she wants to get her an american girl baby doll.  she is aware of how expensive it is, but at least "lauren will have a baby that looks like her... and one to call her own."

that is my robyn, everybody.    

ladybugs

i guess the lady bug season has begun.  

we find ladybugs everywhere, esp in the playroom.

today, robyn's piano teacher gave lauren a dum-dum sucker.  oh, what a rare treat it was for her.  but after a little while, she dropped it on the carpet while she was playing.   so i picked it up, dubbed it as "yucky" and threw it out.  she was okay with it.  

but i had a second thought.  maybe i can use it to stick the ladybugs on it and then throw it out.

when i did and two ladybugs got stuck on it, i showed it to lauren~ proud that i got rid of the ladybugs that my girls are so scared of.  but she began crying instead.  i think she was horrified to think that her candy is now tainted and infested with bugs.  it was so funny how she reacted.  i was also having so much fun catching the ladybugs this way.

i continued to pick up more until the whole candy was covered with ladybugs.  while robyn was playing piano, i walked over there and showed it to her too.  for a couple seconds, she wasn't sure what it was.  maybe i held it too close to her face.   when she realized that the black-dotted red globe on a stick was a whole bunch of ladybugs on a sucker, she started screaming and jumped out of her chair.  she might have even hugged her piano teacher for support who was standing next to her.  

i assured her it's okay~ they're not goin' nowhere.  but she was ranting about how one of them was stuck to the candy on its back and so she saw the ladybug squirming and moving about its legs.  oh, it was funnier how she reacted.

that's not all.  within a min or so later, another ladybug landed on the carpet.  that funny girl lauren got her face really close to it (literally like 3 inches away from it) and started saying, "ew, ladybug!"  so then this time I freaked out b/c i was afraid it would start flying and hit her face or something.  the kids thought that was funny. 

they can make fun of me all they want.  

but to me, a flying ladybug is scarier than idle ladybugs.

good girls

robyn is so helpful and thoughtful. when i need something, she's so eager to help in whatever way she can. and she always puts others first before herself. sometimes, too sacrificial.

lauren also was very helpful today while we were picking up trash in our yard for earth day.
she seems to better understand commands and is more compliant these days.

both of them were so willing to watch me and learn stuff in the kitchen while i was making mac 'n cheese.
i let them stir the cheese. i was skeptical at first b/c it's a hot pot. but they did a great job w/out burning themselves or making a mess.

i thank God for such beautiful girls.

baby #3 at 21 weeks

the ultrasound was done. baby #3 is healthy and normal.
thank you, God.

also, the sex was determined by the technician.
but i never got to find out b/c i was hesitating whether to find out or not, then it was time for us to leave.

but i think it's a boy. it's just been my feeling all along.
even the pic of the head looks like a boy~ whatever that means.
we'll wait and see.

new macbook

this new macbook is an early mother's day gift from my wonderful husband.

another expensive gift

here's another expensive anna-i'm-sorry-for-what-you're-going-through gift from a special relative.

i'm not one to favor brand names or to showcase it to the whole world.
but this leather book tote is a good size, a perfect strap-length, and in red, one of my favorite colors!
thank you, ma'am.

say what you need to say & i love you more

when we started the car and the radio subsequently turned on, robyn recognized the tune right away and started singing along. she obviously heard it one too many times. i didn't want to feel responsible for raising a kid who seems to be familiar with secular music. so when i decided she heard enough of the light rock 104.3 KZLT and turned on the kiddie music instead, she protested and requested for me to turn the radio back on. i complied to see where it would lead us. then she continued to sing, "say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say..." by john mayer.

it was a precious moment.

as lauren and i were going to bed, i said, "good night. i love you."
she responded, "night night. i love you, too."
me: "no, i love you more."
her: "no, i love you more. no, i love you more. no, i love you more. no, i love you more."

she said this to herself quietly~ whispering~ at least 50-60 times with her eyes closed before she finally fell asleep.
was she practicing? did those words make any sense to her? was she just fascinated with those words? or was she memorizing?

anyway, it was soh precious.

positive.

the only time when the test result "positive" is good.

that is, the pregnancy test.

ugg boots

my new uggs.

one of the most expensive pair of shoes i own.  almost $200.

but love the look & the feel.

it's very comfortable.

definitely worth every penny.

sick again.

on days like today~ when i've got 5 canker sores in my mouth, tendinitis in one hand, suffering from a massive headache, nausea, and the flu with an incredibly aching body, and my husband has a 24-hour shift b/c of deployment exercise~ i wish that there was someone to help. my family or a close friend i can ask for help without feeling like i'm a burden.

i should have taken it easy. now my whole day is shot. my kids ate the same leftover food for lunch and dinner. i didn't even have the strength to get up to give them snacks throughout the day. so they ended up eating a few bananas each.

smile from God

a picture i received from a friend, entitled "smile from God."

white new year's

north dakota can be cold.
but it makes this frozenland look so dreamy.
just look at this [undoctored] photo.

it's of my husband & daughter at the top of a hill to sled.

mustard

i didn't realize we were so anal about mustards. but we have just about every variety.

stone ground mustard.
good w/ mozzarella, beef steak tomatoes, & basil.
yellow mustard.
hot dogs wouldn't the be the same w/out this.
zesty honey mustard.
good on sandwiches.
spice brown mustard.
my favorite as a dipping sauce w/ hot pastrami sandwich that's been pressed in the sandwich maker.
dijon mustard.
a must when making salad dressings from scratch.

do you know of any more that i need to add to my collection?

ps. if horseradish & wasabi count, we officially have seven varieties. while i'm at it (counting the spicy condiments), should i count the sriracha sauce & sambal oelek sauce as well? well, then, it's nine.

sudoku

something to keep your mind sharp, esp when you're around little kids all the time.

google's b-day

i was going to write about something else, but i couldn't overlook google's logo today.
turns out, it's its 9th's b-day. man, where would we be without google today? so, happy 9th, google!










ps. did you notice the "9" in the letter g? ooh, how clever. i know google comes up with fancy designs for special holidays. but i wonder if they did something like that last year for it's 8th b-day. did anyone notice last year's? by any chance, was it the two "o"s stuck together and slanted in a 45° angle to form a shape of 8?

choosuk

some korean ladies in the area wanted to celebrate "choosuk" together.
so i did my part and made something korean myself~ some things that you don't get to see at all in north dakota.

sweet potato bread.

i don't recall exactly how those from the korean bakeries taste. and too bad i can't just run out and purchase one to do a taste comparison. but considering that i figured out the recipe on my own and i got compliments each time i made it, i'd say it's pretty decent. but you know me~ there's always room for improvements.

yak-shik.

now this one, i did follow a recipe on some packaging. it lacks a few ingredients (like chinese dates and pine nuts) for obvious reasons~ b/c there are none around here! i think even if i had access to them, i would omit them b/c i really don't care for them. but you notice~ i did manage to put in lots of chestnuts. again, chestnuts are something i couldn't find anywhere (e.g. the commissary, wal-mart, super target, asian grocery store, local supermarkets). it's weird... don't north dakotans have "chestnuts roasting in the open fire" around christmas time?? anyway, i love chestnuts and you can't ever stop me from eating them. in fact, it's my craving for chestnuts that got me thinking i wanted to eat yak-shik, even though i've never been a big fan of this sweet cinnamony dessert. so i'm sure you can imagine my excitement when i found these precious delicacies in minneapolis not too long ago.

i didn't get to have much of it. but i'm going to bed happy just thinking about chestnuts.

blue brocade

carmel by the sea

have you been to carmel by the sea? if yes, don't you agree that it's one of the prettiest places you've visited. who doesn't love old world charm, colorful flowers, flavorful dishes, beautiful scenery, and good weather?

mirrored chest

how exquisite and gorgeous is this chest?
i'd be content to have even just one nightstand like this.

the duggard family

all 19 members of the duggard family were guests of the today show this morning.
i was amazed at their number, first and foremost, and the attitudes of everyone in the family.
they had an amazing testimony about pregnancies/having kids, and the mission they have as a family of children of God.















we the sohs will strive to become like them. (but not the part about having 17+ kids. i mean, if it's God will, yes, but...)

kiran chetry

i think kiran chetry has the prettiest smile.
she really makes the morning so much brighter.

audubon fountain, new orleans

how elegant & beautiful...

toile fabric

i love toile. especially this lavender one.

















it's a great find b/c this particular lavender color is a rare color and it has delicate fine stripes in the background.

i have 25 yards of this fabric (and a pink one just like it) that i purchased a few years ago. i still haven't made beddings and window treatments as i had originally planned. but i shall get to it soon. i know i'm too busy to take on any more projects. but a few hundred dollars worth of investment is just sitting there.

the only return i'm getting is collected dust, and no pleasant feeling of looking at something so pretty in my bedroom.

embroidery machine

oh, how i would love to have one of these embroidery machines...

i'd totally make cool stuff for you.

i've been wanting one since tacoma. still don't have one. maybe one day.

cilantro

i love cilantro.
i know that if you don't love it, you really hate it. (actually, i just found out there is an entire website devoted to cilantro haters. *sigh*) so if you are one of them, i hope you are not hostile toward me for our difference in opinion.

anyway, i love it so much that i can think of a hundred different dishes that could improve with the use of cilantro in them. and i'm really glad that my husband feels the same way about cilantro as i do, so that i can enjoy these dishes w/out worrying about offending him.

another reason to love him. :)

belgique copper-bottoms

i have been eyeing copper pots for a long time. they were hard to find. but now, they're coming out everywhere. it's always tempting to get what you really want. but i don't know how an ordinary mom/wife like myself can justify shelling out close to a $1000 for a set. if i'm rich, at least i can afford to display them in my kitchen, even if i wasn't a good cook.

but i am neither a celebrity cook nor rich. soh, the belgique copper-bottom pots are sufficient for me.

i just wish they weren't so heavy. but i guess the heftiness comes with the territory. it's like a european car. a heavy car is better than a fly-away car. so it's all good. no complaints.

partial-birth abortion | chuck colson

too many posts about my kitchen ins and outs lately.
so, here's a little change.
today's breakpoint topic: the partial-birth abortion loophole

artichoke cream cheese

at costco, we recently tried a sample of artichoke dip. (i think that's what it's called.) it was good. but it wasn't anything i'd pay money for. it was nothing extraordinary. it just tasted like artichoke in cream cheese. i checked the ingredients, and sure enough, it was. so i figured~ i have artichoke hearts and cream cheese on hand, why not make it myself?

i did that this morning.
this is all i used:

• a block of philadelphia cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
  
• 2 cups of marinated artichoke hearts (drained)
  
• a clove of garlic (i like garlic in just about everything)

i just used a food processor to pulse, and it was done in literally less than one minute. here's the result.











the reward? it's officially "homemade." no artificial ingredients or preservatives. probably has much less sodium, too. you can make just the amount you want, instead of buying a whole tub. and no worries about taking up extra space in the refrigerator with more things.

and btw, it can be done with other vegetables too. like roasted peppers, carrots, onions... whatever suits you. and as much (or little) ingredients as you want.

of course my husband liked it a lot. but the real test is, if i can get my daughter to eat artichoke and like it, it's a winner.

on a side note: b/c it's very flavorful, it's good on plain bagel. i tried it on a slice of cheese-onion bread that i baked a couple days ago, and they did not complement each other. oh no. too strong.
my two cents. good night.

blue man group

enjoyed the free tickets to see the blue man group.
and overall, it was fun to see the performance.
but didn't enjoy the loudness. definitely deafening.

new piano

this is our "new" piano that i bought from a rummage sale a few months ago.

it's worn out. the previous owner had inherited it from an old lady who had no use for it any more. he had no use for it either. he did attempt to sand it down and stain it all over. but it was a big job and he ended up giving up. so he had no problem selling it for only $100.

we need to put all the pieces back together and finish sanding or what not. and it needs a little fine tuning. but for the most part, it sounds pretty good for a 100 year-old piano.

now we can practice to our hearts' content.

apple jelly

i made some jelly with those apples from yesterday.












it came out kinda reddish orange (as shown on left). the orange-yellow one (on right) is from another batch of yellow crab apples in my front yard, which i made last week.

these translucent jellies are pretty in the sunlight.
but more impt'ly, they taste great with peanut butter (as PB&J) on cottage bread.

cherry apples

these are apples from my backyard.
at 1.5 inches in diameter, they look like cherries.
giant cherries, of course.
they were pretty, with a little hue of hot pink in the sunlight.
i was afraid they would be just a bunch of mealy apples, though.
but they proved to be crunchy, a little tart, and sweet.
they are delicious.
definitely another surprise in my garden.

eiffel tower

this is for my husband.

tomatoes | bearing fruit

i received a packet of tomato seeds from my local bank back in march or april. i planted them indoors on april 21. they germinated pretty quickly. but took a long time to grow. they thrived once i transplanted them outside. for 4 months, i watered daily and even fertilized once in a while. but nothing else happened, so i almost gave up my hopes.

but a few weeks ago, i saw little green tomatoes. truly excited but still didn't keep any hope. i was pleasantly surprised when we came back from minneapolis and noticed red tomatoes growing on my tomato vines!

this morning, i was doubly surprised when i decided to sample one and it was truly sweet. our next door neighbor has the best, the sweetest fresh tomatoes i have ever tasted in my entire life! i can't say this one beats those. but mine was pretty darn good.

this whole experience made me confess my sins to God this morning. we sow spiritual seeds in people, then water, and water, and water. we expect so much growth. and we expect them to bear fruit. but nothing happens. so we give up thinking it's not our calling or duty to do any more. oh, how i've prayed for some people for years and have given up! one of those people actually has come to know Christ and kept great faith before she passed away. but i still have some more people in my heart that i need to be praying for faithfully.

i thank God this morning not only for yielding these sweet tomatoes. but more impt'ly, for teaching me a lesson through this humble tomato-growing experience.

maggiano's tiramisu

ever since i took the first bite of this tiramisu 15 years ago, no other tiramisu has been able to change my mind. maybe i'm the old dog learning new tricks. i don't know.
honest to God~ i've tried other tiramisus with an open mind. and there have been some close calls. but no other tiramisu tops this one. maggiano's tiramisu simply exceeds them all.

and i'm happy i got a bite of this again over the weekend.

copper pots | william-sonoma

how beautiful is this?
i've been eyeing copper pots & pans for a very long time. not only for looks~ b/c i'm more about functionality & practicality. in my opinion, copper pots & pans (with stainless steel interior) are THE ULTIMATE one can invest in. but the price tag keeps me from making a purchase. they are super expensive, esp. at william-sonoma.

no one, esp. myself, should be surprised with w.s.'s pricing. but a copper "butter warmer" (which is a miniature pot no bigger than 4-5") is $99! i find that so hard to believe. crazy to sell at that price. crazier to purchase at that price!

kitchenaid mixer

love my new kitchenaid mixer! in cobalt blue, too~ my absolute fav color! i didn't even have to beg to get one. my honey just decided to get me one. either he wants me to cook & bake more, or he believes i'm an aspiring cook.

either way, thank you!