What the Shek

Agoura Half Marathon

2010-03-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

It was grueling, but incredibly beautiful! Way to go girls! We did it!

Huntington Library

2010-03-19T16:37:00.001-07:00

It has felt like summer this week in Southern California. So, we have tried to get outside quite a bit to enjoy it. Today, while Tyler was in school, Dylan, Austin and I went to the Huntington Library to explore the gardens with a friend.

When we first got there, we went over to the Children's Garden. Austin was so captured by these flowers that I could not get his attention to take a picture. Another girl came over and asked to take his picture (obviously because of how cute he is), and she could not get his attention, either!

The only thing that got his mind off the flowers were the water fountains. So, we spent a good amount of time getting wet!
The last time we were here, I sat on a bench to feed Austin, while my mom took the boys through the Japanese Garden. So, Dylan was thrilled to be my guide through the bamboo forest and up and down the steps to the bridge over the koi pond. It is beautiful, but unfortunately, there are a lot of hills, and I was carrying Austin and a HEAVY diaper bag, so there are no pictures there.

Fun on the lawn after a long day of walking and exploring the gardens:

Austin hasn't figured out that it is his nose that he should be covering when there are stinky feet nearby.

I love these 2 shots. Both boys doing the exact same thing:

3 Musketeers

2010-03-19T16:33:00.001-07:00

Mt. Wilson Hike

2010-03-13T11:12:00.001-08:00

We went hiking recently, but the trail we were hoping to go on was closed - dang Station Fire! So, we decided to try this hike up Mount Wilson, instead. The boys didn't fair quite as well on this hike, but we couldn't blame them. It was hot and the trail was very steep and narrow. We might have gone 1 mile before turning around to go back home. At least the pictures were great, though!

Notice how narrow? Oh and that is downtown LA in the background.

Always a good time for a little air guitar!

When I Need to Get Something Done

2010-03-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas Card Pictures

2010-03-13T06:40:00.000-08:00

We procrastinated again this year, and could not book a photographer in time for our Christmas card. So, we opted to take pictures of the kids by ourselves.

Well, we got 276 shots like these:

Thanksgiving

2010-03-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

Traditional Shek Family Picture - can you spot the extra member of the family?
* hint - it is more than meets the eye!

Whenever Jason is around, there is sure to be craziness in the house. This time, he brought his nerf guns and the battle began.

Oh, did you think Dylan was aiming at you?

After the lightning-quick repositioning of the barrel, Grandpa became the victim! It's amazing that 30 years later, Transformers and Lego's are still a hit with the kids. Here is Dylan hogging Daddy's old toys:

Outside fun at the Shields':

Old School Chutes and Ladders. This game is probably 40 years old and still hanging in there!

Trying to get a picture with all 6 boy cousins, but the youngest 3 weren't cooperating.

So, we removed the baby, and this is the best we could do:

It was a small group for Thanksgiving Dinner, but still scrumptious.

Gymnastics Birthday

2010-03-05T19:15:00.000-08:00

Also in November, we went down to Orange County to celebrate a friend's birthday. She hosted it at this incredible gym. There were pictures of Olympic Gymnasts all through the gym. Anyways, the kids got to enjoy themselves on all the apparatuses.

Grandma and Grandpa Visit

2010-03-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

My parents came to visit for a couple of days in November. We went to the Santa Monica Pier, Getty Museum, Griffith Observatory, and failed a visit to Dodger Stadium.

Grandpa was kind enough to oblige Dylan and read at least 10 books in a row.

Even on a cloudy day, the Santa Monica Pier is beautiful:

When we were on the pier, there were a few women passing out tons of free samples of Stride gum. So, we ended up with quite a load of it. Tyler and Dylan had never liked gum because they thought the minty stuff was too spicy, but this was bubble gum. Well, they immediately loved it. So, I want to remember how funny this picture is with Dylan in his race car jacket driving a race car, giving the thumbs up all while chewing on his gum. Hopefully this is as close as he ever gets to becoming a red neck!

And, of course, Tyler is driving with all the intensity he can muster up.

Getty Museum:
This museum is fabulous in all sorts of ways. It has beautiful architecture, spectacular views and is very kid-friendly. My wild children have run around this place like crazy without ever getting in trouble. However, right after these pictures were taken, we got in trouble with security for trespassing on one of the sculptures.

Remember I mentioned "kid-friendly"? The kids can roll down their perfectly manicured lawns in the garden. Dylan, however, did not execute a successful roll and was pretty upset about the whole thing.

And here he is pouting:

Good thing Grandpa was on hand to make him feel better!
Oh, and Austin was happy as a clam sitting snug in the Bjorn:

Funny Dylan

2010-03-05T16:15:00.000-08:00

This kid cracks me up.

Curious George

2010-03-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

Curious George is the class mascot for Tyler's kindergarten class. He came home with Tyler and they shared some fun moments together. Oh and he seemed to do better in the Bumbo than Austin!

Tough Guys

2010-03-05T16:08:00.001-08:00

Halloween

2010-03-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

My good friend, Maren, gave us this "Little Devil" costume when Tyler was born. Unfortunately, he was just too little for it when Halloween rolled around. Since Dylan was born in the same month as Tyler, again we had the same problem. The costume has sit in our baby stuff for 5 years until finally we had Austin and he fit it perfectly!

So, we have Buzz Lightyear, Lightning McQueen Race car driver, and the Little Devil. Needless to say, the little cuties scored in the candy department!

Austin - 3 months

2010-03-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

So, I bought a Bumbo after multiple moms raved about it. At 3 months, I thought Austin was ready to try it out. He sat in it pretty well, but would end up shimmying his way out of it after a couple minutes. Thankfully, we supervised him and were able to catch him. I thought he was just too little to be locked in by the seat. We kept trying and trying, but the kid was just too strong for the seat! At 6 months, he was still shimmying his way out of it and actually successfully fell out one time. So, we finally gave up and the seat is now in storage. At least we got a few good pictures of Austin in it, though! Here he is at 3 months.

Soccer

2010-03-05T13:45:00.001-08:00

Well it is nearly Fall 2010, so I should probably start updating this and catch up from Fall 2009! Here goes - but don't be surprised if this takes a while - things are rather busy with a kindergartener, preschooler, and 8 month old who doesn't like to nap!

September marked Tyler's first year of Soccer. A game where you get to run for long periods of time is definitely suited for Ty! Here are pictures:

Stretching for the Big Game:

With no positions in this age group, mosh-pit soccer is what happens:

Water Breaks:

Tyler's #1 fan. I really have to say that Dylan was such a trooper through the entire season. It isn't easy trying to entertain yourself for an hour every Saturday for 3 months.

Opening Ceremonies and picture day - our team went easy and purchased a banner. I sort of regret that decision now, but at the time, I was still adjusting to life with baby #3, kindergarten and preschool. Perhaps next year I will volunteer to help make the banner.....perhaps.

When you are a 5 year old boy and have to wait for long periods of time to get your picture taken, this is what you do for fun - spit in your friend's face:

And this is what you do at the end of a long day:

We didn't win a single game, but the season was a success. Tyler had a blast and wore himself out. We did tie the last game of the season, but won zero! Oh well. We ended the season at Round Table for some pizza and trophies. Like I said, it was a success!

I guess I should mention that there was one casualty at the end of the season. The next day, we found the poor trophy in this condition.

Making the Grandparents Proud

2009-10-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

Arthur taught the boys this Chinese nursery rhyme.....

Recent Pictures

2009-10-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

I don't seem to have a lot of free time to write up posts, so here are a couple pictures without too much commentary.

Too bad I had the camera on the wrong setting on this first one - it could have been really cute if it wasn't blurry. Oh well!

Catching Up

2009-09-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

I have so many posts to catch up on! I just went through a few things, and noticed I had not even posted about Tyler's last day of preschool - which was weeks before the baby came! I am going to back-date many of these posts to make sure the blog stays in some sort of order. You should go back to June to check out Tyler's last day of school, and then you can go to August and September to see some more new posts.

Austin

2009-09-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

For the Grandparents

1st Day of Preschool

2009-09-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Dylan has been looking forward to going to Preschool for so long now. He has had to watch Tyler the past 2 years having fun. I thought I wouldn't cry this time. As soon as we walked in, his teacher gave him a big smile and walked him over to his cubby. I was glad his back was to me, because my eyes welled up with tears.

I had to quickly compose myself before he noticed, so I asked him where he would like his picture taken. Of all places he chose the water cooler!

Then he sat down to get to work on a puzzle and was not even bothered when I told him it was time for me to go.

He loves his teachers and it is so obvious that they love him, too. We are so proud of you, Dylan!

1st Day of Kindergarten

2009-09-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

The night before the big day, I had a bit of a crying fit realizing that Tyler was starting Kindergarten. The next day, with 3 kids in toe, the only one to shed tears was Austin (and scream at the top of his lungs). Tyler was awesome! He walked into his classroom, found his name badge and then found his desk. The teacher invited the parents to stay for reading time, but because Austin was screaming, I had to leave. This made me sad, but Tyler was a brave kid and gave me a big smile and waved me off as I left the room. After school, he had a big smile on his face from having a great first day. I told him I was sorry for not being able to stay, and he just said, "That's ok, Mom! You had to take care of Austin!"

What a mature little man Tyler has become!

Dylan's B-day

2009-08-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

Dylan is 3! Wow, my little guy is growing up so fast!

Dylan, you are becoming a little man! This year, you have learned so much. You speak so well now. Everyone is so surprised to hear such a deep voice come out of such an adorable little guy. You are quiet when Ty is around, but can't stop talking when he is in school. You are learning your alphabet and are starting to trace letters by yourself. You have a huge love for books. So many times, I go to check to make sure you are asleep, only to find you sitting on your bed with 4-5 books sprawled around you!

You amaze me all the time with your long-term memory. Yesterday, you remembered a part of a book that we had not read in close to 4 months. Today, as we passed the middle school, you remembered a time 6 months ago when we picked someone up from there.

You have started preschool and are meeting new people. You love your teachers at school and at church. You are learning to put your shoes on by yourself. You love your brothers and are a great example. You have no problem sharing and waiting your turn. You love snuggling with me and watching Avatar with Daddy.

For your birthday, you got legos, transformers, and bakugan. At your request, we went out for pizza and had cupcakes for dessert.

I love you buddy!

Birth

1st Birthday
2nd Birthday
3rd Birthday

Austin - 2 months

2009-08-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tyler's B-day

2009-08-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have a 5 year old! I remember the day he was born, I started to cry thinking that he would soon be leaving me for college. At the time, I was able to laugh it off as crazy emotions, but now I am realizing I was right. The years have passed too quickly.

This was a big year for you, Tyler! You have really begun to read well. You love looking at bus stop numbers, doing your workbooks, getting stickers on your charts, and watching Avatar with Dad. You are a huge help to me as you have started to walk your dishes to the kitchen counter, put your clothes in the hamper, and bathe yourself. You are so great with Austin. I can trust you to keep an eye on him for a few minutes.

You have started kindergarten and love everything about it. You are on your first soccer team and although you have lost every game so far, you still are excited about it. You have a great zest for life. I love you, buddy!

For your birthday this year, Uncle Aaron was able to come celebrate with us. You got lots of Legos, Transformers, and a Dart gun set. You spent most of the night running around shooting everyone with darts.

Happy Birthday, Ty! We love you!

Birth

1st Birthday
2nd Birthday
3rd Birthday
4th Birthday
5th Birthday

Age Comparison - 6 weeks

2009-08-11T15:00:00.001-07:00

I like to see how my boys compare at different times. Here are pictures of each of my boys at about 6 weeks.

Clearly, Austin resembles Tyler quite a bit at this time:

Tyler

Dylan

Austin

Austin's Blessing

2009-08-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Arthur had to travel to a computer graphics conference in New Orleans last week. So, I did not want to spend the entire week alone. I went up to Sacramento to visit family (and get a little help while I could!). We arranged to have Arthur fly into Sacramento after his conference so he could make the drive home with me.

Because we would all be there together and both our families live in Sacramento, we decided to bless Austin. He was calm and content the entire morning. I was able to sit back and enjoy the moment fully. The blessing was wonderful and the spirit was felt very strongly.

My sister and her family were there, but they had church commitments after the blessing. Unfortunately, we did not get pictures with them.

Before church - I wanted to make sure we got a clean picture of Austin in his outfit before the potential sweat and spit up-filled pictures that could be present by the end of the day. Can you tell I have been through this 2 times before?

Just Us:

Arthur's Parents and Us:My Parents and Us:Almost the whole group:Uncle Alvin with my 4 Boys:This was taken about 2 seconds after Austin was placed on the wet grass:3 seconds after being placed on the wet grass:Cute shots of Austin:

A Few of My Favorites this Week

2009-07-12T07:40:00.001-07:00

Introducing...

2009-07-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce the arrival of

Austin Tin-yi Shek
June 29, 2009
7 lb. 4 oz
20 inches

Although we had prepared to have Austin join our family on July 5th due to a scheduled induction, his low fluid levels enabled him to come a few days early. After a morning ultrasound appointment, we were asked to report to the hospital within 1 hour! Thankfully, we have a great support system. We rushed to pack our bags, feed and dress Tyler and Dylan, call our parents, call Nicole (thank you, thank you!) to arrange for last minute babysitting, and call for Super Shuttle to pick up Grandma from the airport. We made our entrance into Labor and Delivery within 2 hours of that call.

6 hours of pitocin and 1 push later, Austin was born!

Hammer Pants Dance

2009-06-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

I am turning 32 this year - which seems really old. But, watching this video makes me happy. I definitely did not appreciate Hammer Pants at the time, but looking back, I am happy to clearly remember being a teenager when they ruled the dance floor:

Hopes, Dreams & Crime

2009-06-17T20:33:00.001-07:00

I was putting the boys to bed tonight. As I was tucking them in, Tyler says to me, "Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a construction worker!"

Dylan sits up in his bed and says, "When I grow up, I want to be a bad guy!"

Baby Prep

2009-06-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

This baby is probably going to be born in the next 2-3 weeks. So, I am in Baby-Prep Mode! I have been talking to the boys quite a bit about the new baby. I know they will never really be prepared until he arrives, but I just want to make sure they are in the loop about some of the baby stuff.

Today at lunch, we were talking about how the baby will cry and need to be held. I asked the boys who should hold the baby when he is crying and they both decided it would be best if me and Daddy do that. They were surprised to hear that they could also hold the baby on occasion.

So, the discussion then lead to how they can help the baby.

Dylan immediately said, "I can teach the baby about Lightening McQueen and Chick Hick!"

Tyler followed up with, "I can teach him how to hold hands and look both ways on the street!"

Although most of the time I am fearful for the baby to be brought to our crazy household, it is times like this that I think he could have a chance!

Last Day of Preschool

2009-06-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Today was Tyler's last day of preschool. I can hardly believe that he has already reached this milestone in his life and will soon be off to kindergarten! Why does time go by so fast?

This year, he has grown so much and learned so many new skills. Although, his energy is still through the roof, he can sit still and listen to instruction much better. He plays with groups and expresses himself much more. He still gets overwhelmed in some situations involving large unfamiliar groups, being put on the spot, or unclear instruction, but his maturity and ability to adapt is improving.

His reading has started to take off. He doesn't get as frustrated with new words and works hard at trying to spell. He will come to me with papers full of words that he has written just by sounding them out. Sure, the spelling is usually wrong, but it is a huge step in progress from a few months ago when he wanted nothing to do with reading.

Tyler really loved his teacher. She is one of the most patient people I know. Somehow she was able to get all the kids in the class to behave and listen without uttering a cross word or raising her voice. I was seriously amazed at how much the kids loved her and respected her. Tyler definitely became a different person when he entered her class.

This year, his best friends at school were Sarah, Charlie, Emma, Owen, Joseph, Madison, Jack, and Tay. His teacher taught him all about bees, rolly pollies, the calendar, days of the week, seasons, smells, and so many other things. He learned to blame things on "Mr. Nobody", and cross his fingers when he heard a siren.

Ty - I am so proud to be your mother and get to witness your learning and growth. Congratulations on finishing your final year of Preschool! I can't wait to see how much you love Kindergarten and how much you will learn next year.

Real Camping

2009-06-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

After the success of the practice camp out in the back yard, Arthur took Tyler and Dylan to the Father/Son Camp Out that our church has every year. Dylan ended up being almost the youngest son there. He was trumped by a baby (who actually did not fare very well, from what I have heard). The boys behaved well, slept the entire night, and still have not stopped talking about it. Now whenever we drive on the freeway, the boys love to point out the mountains to the north where Daddy took them camping!

Here are a ton of pictures!

Eating a "healthy" dinner

Firearms Training Boulder ThrowingDirty Face + Nappy Hair = Happy Sons

"Kleaning" the K'nex

2009-06-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

I have so much to post, and will eventually get around to it (hopefully before the baby comes)!

For now, I wanted to share something funny.

I asked Tyler to clean up his K'nex that had been spread across several rooms in our house. After about 5 minutes of total silence, I knew something had to be up. Well, he wasn't exactly cleaning, but he was working hard:

If you click to enlarge to picture, you will see that he replicated the Parts List exactly.

Pretty proud of his work:

Practice Camping

2009-05-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

Arthur has been off the hook for taking Tyler on the annual father/son camp out. Tyler really would not have fared well and frankly, I don't think Arthur would have fared very well, either. So, we had decided to wait a few years until we were confident both of them would be able to survive the night without killing each other!

Well, Tyler is almost 5 and has really matured quite a bit in the last few years. Arthur is almost 33 and has also really matured as a father! So, we decided to do a trial run in the back yard to see how they would do. Since the safety of the home was just steps away, Dylan was included in this test as well!

Arthur got home from work really late, so there was not much time to do any official camping activities. Once the tent was set up, it was already dark and time for bed. The kids got their jammies on and loaded up with their trail mix snack. They snuggled into their sleeping bags and then watched Bolt on the portable DVD player. These kids really are spoiled when it comes to "roughing it"!

Despite the constant dog howling, thunder/bombing (not sure what this is), and psycho bird noises we have in our neighborhood, the boys were sound asleep by 10:15. They woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6:15 in the morning. Although Arthur did not sleep very well, they all had a great night together. As soon as Dylan woke up, he sat up and said, "That was fun camping, Daddy!"

Major props to Arthur for being such a great dad!

Flashlights are clearly only to be used as Lightsabers
Once all the Storm Troopers had been slayed, the boys could nestle safely into their sleeping bags
Enjoying the movie and snack

Easter Hunt

2009-05-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

I kept my promise from last year and did not give into the temptation of attending the local Egg Hunt sponsored by the city. Even though the money spent does support a good cause, I just couldn't put the kids through another disappointing egg hunt. So, a few of us decided to get together and plan our own Egg Hunt that would guarantee each child a certain number of eggs per child. Even though the logistics of egg division was a little tricky, it was definitely worth the work!

The bigger kids had to really hunt for their eggs in the lower level of our yard. The Dads really did a good job of hiding them, but then had the task of helping find some of the harder ones.

On the top level, the younger kids had it easy!
Dylan and JulieDylan and Tanner
At one point during the hunt, we looked over and saw buddies Dylan and Tanner enjoying the candy from their eggs together. Those sneaky boys!
After the hunt, we had all the kids gather for a picture (thank you Nicole - I stole this from your blog) and lunch

Nudie Days

2009-05-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Well we have officially started potty training Dylan all over again. After multiple accidents and his constant refusal to tell me when he needs to go, I am at my wits end. So, Arthur suggested we do nudie mode. With Tyler, it was really easy because we just stayed inside for a month while I let him run around naked most of the day. Now that our lives are a bit more busy, I obviously can't keep Dylan nude all day. He has to wear clothing! But, Arthur is right. I think it is the only way. So, Dylan will be nude when we are home.

And I had major progress today! He had just finished 2 cups of milk, so I knew he was primed and ready to go. We were working on letters, and he was shaking and wiggling a ton. But, I didn't ask him if he needed to go. I just sat as if I had no idea he was holding it. The letter-learning took a major downward turn as he was so distracted with holding his bladder. After 10 minutes of wiggle jiggles, I really thought an accident would happen. I mean how long could he put it off? Finally, after 5 unsuccessful attempts at locating the letter K, he had had enough. He looked at me and said, "Mommy, I need to go poo-poo!"

A big "WOO HOO" came out of my mouth! I was so happy to hear those words come out of his mouth! I have learned that there is a big difference between being potty trained and just having a strong bladder. I am really hoping that this will be the trick for him. I just don't want to have to show up at elementary school every 3 hours to take him to the restroom!

P.S. I know it has been a while since I have posted pictures. I do have some stuff to post - I just haven't gotten to it. So, hopefully in the next week I will get some more "fun" posts up here!

Overheard Today...

2009-04-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

In order to get the humor in this, you must understand 2 things:

1. Arthur has a brother named Aaron
and
2. Dylan and I run with my friend, Jennifer, once a week.

Me: We are going to run a few errands today.
Dylan: We going to see Uncle Aaron??
Me: No, when I said "run some errands", I meant to say was that we need to go to Target.
Dylan: Then we going running with Jennifer?

Poor kid was so confused.

A Bit of Progress

2009-04-28T17:38:00.001-07:00

Well the Progress Charts have been filled in! The Disneyland trip is planned and the boys are so proud of themselves. But, there is still a lot of work to do.

I have to say that I am most impressed with Tyler's swimming. Wearing his goggles has helped him to not be afraid to put his face in the water and now he is having so much more fun. He is trusting the instructors and relaxing a bit. I still am not convinced that he will actually learn to swim this year, but I am just happy that the fear is starting to dissipate.

Dylan, on the other hand, is still a huge work in progress. Yesterday, we had 2 BAD accidents (on the carpet) and just now, he woke up from his nap with wet pants - which ultimately means I have to change his sheets and do a load of laundry. I am not sure where to go with him. Part of me just wants to do what I was doing before and take him to the bathroom regularly on my own. We were doing so well and were accident-free for months! The other part wonders if this will just contribute to his inability to recognize or communicate to me when he needs to go.

Oh the joys of parenting!

Goggles, Wet Pants and Progress Charts

2009-04-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

So, I have finally given up. All the bribing in the world has stopped working. Goodbye Jamba Juice rewards, sticker rewards on the shirt are useless, and candy is out of the question. My boys have gotten LAZY!!!

Let's start with Dylan. After Dylan showed interest in potty training at 22 months, I was determined not to give into the temptation to start. But after conversations with a few of my friends, I felt it was a good idea to strike while the iron was hot, and attempt potty training at 25 months. I gave it 1 week. I convinced myself that he would fail, and then I would be off the hook for at least another 6 months. Well, that stinker of a perfect child didn't have a single accident the entire week. So, we kept it up. After 1 month, there were only a handful of accidents and life was GREAT!! He was doing both jobs, telling me when he needed to go and only needed a Pull Up for sleeping time. I said goodbye to our diapers and was proud to say that I had 2 potty trained children!

Well that all changed about 3 months ago. Dylan became LAZY! The kid has amazing control, so he would just hold it for hours on end. By the time an accident was probably inevitable, we would be going out the door, and I would just take him on my own. Then he would hold it again up until nap time, when I would take him on my own again. He didn't have to come tell me anymore when he needed to go and started to just rely on me to take him every 3 hours or so. Well, as is the case with life, our schedules began to change and life got busy. Not to mention, I became pregnant and was out of commission for a few months. The accidents started to pour into our life (quite literally, I might add). The kid refused to tell me when he needed to go. Wet pant after wet pant and I had had enough. I started to reward him with stickers for every time he would go in the toilet, but his lazy habit was still more overpowering. Wet pants ruled over stickers on his shirt.

Now let's switch to Tyler: As most of you know, this is our stubborn child. We started swim lessons last summer and I was just happy that he was getting in the water without screaming at me. This year, I want to see PROGRESS!! So, I decided that he needed to wear goggles to help him learn to not be afraid to put his face in the water. We practiced wearing them at home and in the bath. When lessons started, I bribed him with a Jamba Juice if he would wear his goggles. No go. The next lesson, I bribed him with a special lunch to McDonald's. No go. I decided I would not let his refusal to wear the goggles get to me. He would just miss out on special treats. Well, apparently he didn't care about Jamba Juice or McDonald's. Sure, he would pout when we would go directly home after lessons, but after a few minutes, he would be happily playing with his trains forgetting the entire incident. And this really started to bug me! How was I going to get him to wear those goggles??

I know, I know - I am the last mom to use progress charts. It seems just too easy and would my kids really care about putting a sticker on a piece of paper?? I doubted the effectiveness. But, I was desperate! So, I put together 2 charts for the boys. Tyler would get 1 sticker for every time that he wore his goggles to swim class. Dylan would get 1 sticker for every time he TOLD me that he had to go the bathroom. If they made it through the entire chart, a picture of Mickey Mouse signified a trip to Disneyland with Daddy!

Well, as I figured, Tyler had no interest in the chart. 2 more lessons passed without goggles. Dylan, on the other hand, embraced the idea. At least once a day, he would tell me needed to go to the bathroom. And you know, as much as I can't stand the sibling rivalry that is present in our home, it actually has worked to encourage Tyler! He started to get jealous and wanted to see stickers on his chart. Currently, Dylan has 7 of his 12 slots filled and Tyler has 2 out of 5! I am a true believer in progress charts now! Looks like Arthur is going to have to find time in his busy life for trip to Disneyland soon!

100 DAYS??

2009-04-02T14:04:00.001-07:00

I really hate that babystrology baby counter on my blog. I am thinking I need to remove it because it is just not helping things.

100 days left?? Are you kidding me? That is eternity! How is my belly so huge already?

Bad Words

2009-04-02T13:52:00.001-07:00

This morning, Dylan and I were in the car on the way home from our morning run. Dylan never wants to go home when we are out and about. So, I am trying to find a way to avoid the mild crying fit (it is Dylan after all) every time we go up the road to our house. Today, I tried to get him excited about going home to play with his toys. Here is the conversation we had:

Dylan: Mommy, we going home?
Me: Yes, but you will get to play with your balls and trucks!
Dylan: No go home! (crying begins)
Me: It's ok because we will have to pick up Tyler from school soon. So, we will get to ride in the car again! For now, you get to play with your toys or read books if you want!
Dylan: Me watch tv??
Me: No, we'll play with toys and read books instead. That is much more fun.
Dylan: Mommy, don't say that bad word!
Me: I said a bad word?
Dylan: Yes, you said "no watch tv" and that is a bad word. Mommy, No Say That Bad Word!

Since I use that phrase very often during the day, I'll probably have to prepare myself for lots of soap in my mouth!

Spoiled by the Grandparents

2009-03-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

Last week, Arthur was at Game Developer Conference in San Francisco. He spent the week schmoozing with representatives from different game companies learning about all the newest technology trends in game making. So, I took the boys to visit their grandparents.

The timing was perfect. The town where my parents live was celebrating the grand opening of a much needed bridge across the river. It was an opportunity to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and get outside with the kids.

As I uploaded these pictures, I realized that I am not good at covering all the events. We got to spend quality time with Arthur's grandparents, parents and brothers, as well as my parents, my sister and her 3 boys. I don't have pictures to show all these people, but the boys were so happy. There were some tears shed on the car ride home when they realized that it would be a long time till we would get to have so much fun with family again.

3 of the 5 boy cousins squished onto Grandpa's chair:

At dinner with Arthur's family, the boys decided that they would only look at the camera while making funny faces:

Crossing the new bridge. This is 5 minutes from my parents house. You can see the dam in the distance. Thankfully, the boys are too young to make jokes using the word "dam"!

This is the other side of the bridge. If you look closely, you can see a famous prison on the left bank of the river. This is also 5 minutes from my parents house, but surprisingly, the town is extremely safe to live in. I am not sure why the prisoners get to live in such a prime and beautiful location, though!

Dim Sum with Arthur's family. Arthur's grandparents were here and I wish I got a picture with them.

After filling our bellies at Dim Sum, the kids entertained themselves by jumping off an art sculpture at the nearby college campus (Grandpa's workplace):

When we got to the campus, Grandma and Grandpa Shek were sad to realize that it was Spring Break already and the Student Union was closed. Of course, they couldn't back down on the promised ice cream treat for the boys! So, we headed to Leatherby's for a late afternoon snack!

Sports Blitz

2009-03-20T18:04:00.001-07:00

Our city has a Sports Blitz class for kids ages 4-6. Tyler had a blast learning a little bit about soccer, t-ball, and flag football. Of course, his favorite part of class was anytime he got to run!

Here are a few pictures from their last day of class:

All the boys listening intently to Coach Andy:

Well maybe one of them got a little distracted by the photographer:

And he is off!

Nice Form:

Score!

Random Crazy

2009-03-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in FOREVER and finally got around to downloading the pictures from one of the cameras to our computer. These pictures have no order or relationship with each other, but I just wanted to post them:

I can't seem to get Tyler to wear his goggles during his swim lessons, but he sure has fun wearing them around the house. Here he is practicing his range of emotions at lunch time:

I came home from jogging one morning to find that Tyler had constructed this "Rocket Launcher" all by himself using Tinker Toys. It is quite impressive considering the poor kid doesn't have any play guns, and had to use his own creativity!

I have to say that with his hair pulled back like this, Dylan resembles Roger Federer:

This day, the boys decided they wanted to be twins in every way possible:

I will try to be better at posting. Plus, my other camera is full of pictures. The problem is that it doesn't want to turn on. I need to enlist Arthur's help in getting the pictures off of it.

Baby #3 is a...

2009-02-17T13:45:00.000-08:00

By the way, we found out last week that the baby to be born in 144 days (dang babystrology baby-counter) will be a BOY!

P.S. We are accepting name* suggestions.

*The names Jarman and Sherma will be omitted from consideration

Portraits

2009-02-15T20:02:00.001-08:00

Our good friend, Nancy, took some great pictures of us before the holidays. Our intention was to use one of them for our Christmas cards. Unfortunately, we got too busy and lazy to send one out this year. Please don't take us off your card list for next year! We promise to get them out next year!

Anyways, there were so many good ones. Here is a sample of my personal favorites:

Love Affair with a Garage

2009-02-06T09:58:00.000-08:00

As Valentine's Day is upon us, I thought I would share a love story. But, this is not your ordinary love story. It is the story of the love between a little boy and a garage:

It all started a few years ago while visiting my parent's house. Even at 12 months , Tyler was extremely interested in being able to open and close the garage. He would beg to be granted the right to push the button at all hours of the day. Unlike the one at our house, my parents had a "newer" garage - the kind that runs up and down on a track and has windows. Our garage door at home was an old wooden door that simply lifted up and stuck outside of our garage. It had no windows and was apparently not too interesting for Tyler. Sure, he enjoyed pushing the button, but he would not beg at all hours to watch the garage open and close.

The nursery leaders at church told us about how he would sit for long periods of time in front of the "Little People House" that had a garage door. He would stare at it, and move his little cars in and out of that garage slowly opening and closing the door with such concentration!

I searched stores for a toy that had a garage door, so that he would have as much enjoyment at home, but was not able to find a single one. Unfortunately, the "Little People House" had been updated years ago and did not have the movable garage door anymore. I was even tempted to purchase one on Ebay, but the prices were just too crazy to justify it. Besides, this was just a phase, right?

Fast forward 3 years, and Tyler still is obsessed with garages. When we drive up and down our street, he likes to tell me which houses have opened or closed doors. If one is moving, he will scream until I stop the car and allow him to watch it.

A few weeks ago, our old garage door completely broke. This was an answer to Tyler's little prayers as we now could upgrade to a newer model. There is a whole new level of excitement over our garage! I cannot tell you how many times a day Tyler will ask me questions like, "So Mom, how do you like our new garage?" or he'll say, "Do you know that our new garage has windows?" or "Do you think the light on the garage will turn on soon?". This happens at least 3-4 times a day! When we are getting ready to go somewhere, Tyler will schedule whether it is his or Dylan's turn to open or close the garage. But, when we are in the car on our way home, he always lets Dylan close it. This is because he can run inside the house and watch the door close from our front window!

I am not sure how long this affair will continue, but I wanted to make sure that we don't forget Tyler's first true love.

Happy Valentine's Day, Tyler. I will let you open and close that door as much as you want on February 14th!

***Oh yes, and as I pulled up our blog to post this,Tyler asked me to click on the picture of Arthur with the Sparkler's (from the post below). Once the picture enlarged, he whispered in my ear, "Do you see the garage in the picture, Mom?"

Gung Hay Fat Choy

2009-01-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

This year, the kids enjoyed making paper Chinese Lanterns and Glitter Fireworks. Then we went outside for the real fun - Sparkler Fireworks!!

Here they are showing off their crafts (notice the lanterns hanging in the back):
Daddy showing how it is done:
Tyler trying it out:
Tyler trying to burn the house down:
Dylan seems to be a natural at this:
Except when he got a little close to the car!

Paris Part 3 - Final Post!

2009-01-26T16:57:00.001-08:00

The next day was our last day of our trip. We went to Montmarte, the highest point of the city. One highlight of Montmarte is the beautiful Sacre Coeur Basilica and views of the city. We also walked around the streets making sure to take note of Picasso's home and other well-known attractions.

Moulin de la Galette

Moulin Rouge - don't worry - we were there in the daytime and I wasn't about to let Arthur get much closer!

We ended our day walking the Champs Elysees. We started at the Place de la Concorde. This square is the location where the guillotine stood during the French Revolution. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were both dismembered here. Now there is a giant Egyptian obelisk to mark the spot. During the holiday season, there is also a ferris wheel. Unfortunately, due to the extremely low value of the dollar, we were unwilling to spend $30 to ride it!

Champs Elysees - 3 days till Christmas!

We celebrated our final evening in Paris by eating dinner in a restaurant! As I mentioned before, the dollar's low value made this trip very expensive! We found ourselves eating at roadside stalls for every meal to try to save some money. Unfortunately, even this "cheap food" cost us a pretty penny! So, even though this picture does not show my mood, I was quite relieved and happy to sit in a warm restaurant, be waited on by a nice waiter, and devour a hot meal!

Paris Part 2

2009-01-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

On our 3rd day, I was so thrilled to visit the Palace of Versailles. I had visited it before when I was in high school, and was eager to show Arthur the opulence and beauty of the architecture and gardens. This is where Louis the 14th reigned and where Louis the 16th and his wife Marie Antoinette lived lavishly. It is a perfect symbol of the division between the elite and the poor in France before and during the French Revolution.

Once we got there, I was shocked and horrified to see that some guy name Jeff Koons was allowed to desecrate the Palace with things he called "art".

Yes, those are plastic inner tubes climbing a fence:

They actually replaced one of the chandeliers in this room to make room for a hanging lobster:

Michael Jackson and Bubbles (no comment needed):

Why would you want to look at the artwork on the ceiling and walls, when you can admire the giant balloon-puppy in the middle of the room?

So, those are things I didn't expect and didn't really love about Versailles. Here are pictures of what I did like:

Palace Entrance

This is where Marie Antionette wed Louis VI

Artwork
Hall of Mirrors
Gardens
Marie Antoinette's Bedroom
War Room
And a cute guy that let me take his picture

After a long day of touring Versailles, we headed back to Paris to view the Christmas decor at the Galleries Lafayette. This is a famous shopping center in Paris. Although the lights were spectacular, we realized how close to Christmas it was by the crowds we encountered!

Paris Opera House

Germany & Paris Part 1

2009-01-07T15:54:00.000-08:00

I really want to take the time to thank our parents for making this trip possible. There is NO WAY I would have wanted to travel to Germany and Paris while being pregnant and having to tote around 2 wild kids. So, a HUGE THANK YOU to our parents for taking care of our rascals while we toured around Europe!

Arthur had the opportunity to teach a workshop at an animation school near Stuttgart, Germany. So, I joined him at the end of his week there and then we headed over to Paris for a long weekend. Here is a long summary of our trip!

I need to pull some pictures off of my other camera, but here are a couple shots of the Christmas Markets. This was my favorite part of the trip. Being in Germany at Christmas time is truly a special thing. The towns set up little markets where you can buy Christmas decorations, food, and of course, beer. It seems that the entire town congregates frequently at these markets with family and friends.

A strange thing you might see at a German train station:

Our first day in Paris. We had to head to the Eiffel Tower first, of course!

Then, we made our way to the Champs Elysees to view the famous street and the Arc de Triomphe

Views from the Arc

After meandering along the Champs Elysees, we walked back to the Eiffel Tower for our Evening ascent to the top.
At the top of each hour, the Eiffel Tower would sparkle like this:
The next day, we headed to tour the Louvre Museum. Top sites here were, of course, the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo:
Ever since Arthur's education at MIT, he has had a thing for "floating" architecture. We had to get a picture of this "floating" staircase at the Louvre:

Me studying Rick Steves along the Seine River:
Arthur and I standing on the Pont Neuf - the oldest bridge in Paris. If you look closely, you can see the Eiffel Tower next to Arthur's head.

Front and back views of Notre Dame:

This street performer reminded us of our college days and our many visits to Harvard Square

We couldn't resist ourselves on our walk along Ile Saint-Louis:

Cheese Shop:

Chocolate Shop:

And of course, it would not be Christmas in Paris without Bouches de Noel:

Eating our Creme Puff along the Seine:

That is all for now. Check back again because there are so many more pictures to come!

Sherma - the unborn Super Hero!

2009-01-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

Overheard again, while driving in the car:

Ty: The Super-Hero in my belly is not ready to come out yet!

me: Oh, you have a super-hero in your belly?

Ty: Yeah, a super-hero! You have a baby brother in your belly, Dylan has a baby brother in his belly, and I have a baby sister in my belly. Dylan's baby is named Tom, your baby is Alex, and my baby is Sherma!

me: Sherma?

Ty: Yep, Sherma is the super-hero in my belly. But, she is not ready to come out yet.

***note - this happened a few weeks ago before I was ready to announce the pregnancy. So, I posted it on here with a future publish date of today. I just wanted to remember this funny conversation. So, although it may seem like all Tyler does is talk about the new baby, it is not completely true.

Tyler's Wish Has Come True

2009-01-01T17:45:00.001-08:00

He'll just have to wait about 28 more weeks*...

* Although his wish to name the baby "Jarman" won't come true.

Overheard Today

2008-11-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

While driving in the car:

Ty: Hey Mom, look over there! There is a cute little baby! Maybe next time we can buy one!

Babysitting

2008-11-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we were babysitting some friends' kids (I won't mention what political event was occurring, because I think most of you readers are all sick of hearing about it by now). I wasn't sure if I would have the energy to entertain 5 young kids for almost 5 hours, but the kids played really well together. The older kids taught the younger ones how to play duck-duck-goose, tag, and hide-and-seek. They played cars, trains, threw balls, and raced. At the end of the night, the kids were worn out and had been so great. So, we rewarded them with a movie downstairs. Obviously, they liked it!

Descanso Gardens

2008-11-21T15:06:00.000-08:00

A couple days before Halloween, I took the boys to Descanso Gardens. I had just received my new camera, and this is the perfect place to practice. I went in the middle of the day when it was extremely hot and sunny, so I learned a lot about how the sun and shadows affect pictures. Basically, I learned that I went at the wrong time of day. But, I persevered and we had a good time, nonetheless. Although, the boys definitely would have preferred to not have a camera stuck in their face the entire time. After only about a couple hundred shots, I got a handful that I liked. Here are the few that turned out pretty nice.

I am hoping to take a class next year because I definitely don't have raw talent!

Reviews are In!

2008-11-21T10:14:00.001-08:00

Bolt scored an 86% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes!

Watch the trailer at Apple Trailers,

And then go watch the movie (even if you already have gone to see Twilight this weekend)!

Bolt to the Theaters!

2008-11-11T15:18:00.000-08:00

I know that most of the women reading this post probably already have tickets purchased for the upcoming Twilight movie. But, do your husbands and children really want to see a movie about high school vampire love? Most definitely, NOT! Undoubtedly, you already have your girl's night out planned on Friday, November 21st - which includes leaving your poor husband and kids to fend for themselves. So, I suggest you make it up to them by spending some quality time with your family and take them the next day to see Bolt, the new Disney animated movie. If you enjoyed the action-adventure part of The Incredibles and the tenderness that was Lilo & Stitch, you will absolutely love Bolt.

Arthur and I had a chance to attend the premiere screening of it on Saturday. Attending one of these movie premiers always gives me a good excuse to wear a pretty dress, curl my hair, and hire a babysitter for a fun night out with my husband. In addition to not feeling guilty about buying new earrings for the event, we got to watch a great movie. I seriously fell in love with Bolt, the little white dog who believes he is a super hero. This movie is so much more than just a cartoon. I laughed out loud at Rhino, felt my heart pound during the action scenes, and tried to hide my tears in the touching moments.

But, I have to say that my favorite part of the movie was at the end when I got to see this:

I love you, Arthur! This movie is definitely one that you and all the people at Disney can be proud of!

First Public Performance

2008-11-09T23:10:00.000-08:00

Today was the primary program in church. I had been a bit nervous about the idea of not being able to feed, distract, and pacify Tyler while he sat up on the stand during the entire meeting. He had a little part to recite that we had been practicing for a couple weeks. Knowing Tyler, the better prepared he is, the better things tend to go. I had considered taking him to the church to practice sitting on the stand, but a busy week didn't allow it. I was confident in his ability to remember his part, but nervous about how the delivery would go.

Tyler's class is the youngest in the primary, and because of the number of kids, there were not enough seats. So, his class had to stand the entire time in the front row. Picture about 10 three-to-four year olds standing in a line for 60 minutes. You don't need to be good at math to know that that could equal serious problems! I started to get nervous, but really for no reason. Although he ducked down below the little wall for much of the time, I was really proud at how well he behaved himself. He sang most of the songs and the little shoving match he started with his good friend, Sarah, was more humorous than disastrous.

The program ended up being really nice. The kids all bore testimony about being Children of God and what that meant to them. They talked about how important the scriptures are and about different parts of the gospel. I was really touched by their sweet voices as they sang songs.

Right before his part, I said a quick and silent prayer for him. He took the microphone, ducked below the wall again and delivered it perfectly! Well, perfectly, in a slow deep growl that amused the entire congregation. Once he was finished, he stood right back up, gave the mic back to the leader, and offered me a priceless proud look.

I love that kid!

P.S. Here is his part for posterity (he came up with it all on his own):

"When I get baptized, I will wear white clothes. My Daddy will baptize me and I will go under the water. Then I will receive the Holy Ghost."

Halloween Gloom

2008-10-31T17:26:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned previously, I am really having trouble getting the boys to smile for the camera lately. I mean what is wrong with these little trick-or-treaters? You'd think they were about to attend a funeral!

Or maybe they just got rejected from the upcoming space mission...

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T15:21:00.001-07:00

We wish you all a hauntingly happy Halloween!

(more pictures to come...)

Halloween Eve

2008-10-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

Skull-Baby

2008-10-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

I pulled out some of our Halloween Decorations for our annual Trunk-or-Treat at church. How is it possible that a kid who is deathly afraid of Mickey Mouse at Disneyland can snuggle up to this scary ghost thing? We don't have a picture of it, but a few seconds later, he actually gave the ghost a kiss!

Pumpkins and Heat

2008-10-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

We recently got a really nice camera that I have been itching to take out for photo shoots with the kids. Unfortunately (as you will see in my next several posts), my kids - especially Tyler - just don't enjoy photo shots and do everything possible to avoid smiling nicely for me.

It has been super hot in Los Angeles and has not felt like Autumn at all. So, last week, we went with some of our good friends to a farm that was hosting a pumpkin patch to try to get in the spirit. It ended up being one of the hottest days of the month, but we enjoyed ourselves, nonetheless. The kids got to feed goats, pick pumpkins, ride tractors (Tyler), scream at me because they were too small to ride a tractor (Dylan), and ride a train. I also got a little practice at using my new camera!

Low Productivity

2008-10-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

Since the boys are getting older, they now have to help clean up toys. Special activities or treats are sometimes reserved only for boys who help.

On monday, the activity was Play-Doh.

This boy was a good helper:

This took nearly 3 hours to clean up:

Which is why this boy looks like this:

7 Years and Still No Itch

2008-10-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

11 years ago, during General Conference weekend, I met Arthur at a lunch party hosted by some friends at Harvard. We were both in the Cambridge University Ward in Massachusetts. I overheard Arthur say that he was from Sacramento and I immediately had to introduce myself to him as I was also from Sacramento. Almost exactly 4 years later, we were married in the Oakland, CA Temple.

Happy 7th Anniversary, Arthur!

San Diego

2008-10-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Last month, we took a mini-vacation to San Diego with a few of our friends. We stayed at a fabulous beach house in Oceanside, went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, Sea World, and played at the beach. Unfortunately, our camera mysteriously stopped working at the Wild Animal Park. Just imagine a safari ride complete with giraffes, rhinoceros, zebra and gazelles. I think I can check African Safari off my 30's To-Do List, now!

Here are our pictures (warning - there are a ton!):

Carousel Ride at Belmont Park:

The Amazing Beach House (thank you, Justin and Jennie)

Sea World

Shamu Show - we were sitting in the Splash Zone, but unfortunately did not get drenched:
Penguins
Dolphin Show. Again - no splash:
Bay of Play - at least we got wet here!
Scenes from the drive home:

Dinner at Ruby's on the Pier
I love these pictures that our friend, Nancy, took. They totally represent how much fun and how happy our kids were the entire weekend. Someday, I hope to be able to take such beautiful pictures!

Sacramento

2008-10-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

Before starting this post, I am going to apologize to all of our Sacramento friends with whom I have promised to hang out on my next visit. This was completely a last minute trip and there really was very little extra time.

My brother, Mike, was in town for an Oracle Conference in San Francisco. My other brother, Steve, also decided to make the trip. My sister lives 2 minutes from my parents, so I didn't want to miss the mini-family reunion. At the last minute, I packed up the boys and drove the 6 hours to Sacramento on my own.

Once I got there, we heard from Steve that he was not going to be able to get a flight home, so he was unable to make the trip. I was still glad to spend a little time with family.

Hanging out at Sac State, where Grandpa teaches:

Swimming with cousins:

PJ Time with cousins:

Lari, Owen, Kellen, Tyler, me, and Mike. Yes, Mike is 1 foot taller than me. No, neither he nor I were adopted (to the best of our knowledge). Yes, life is not fair, but I have grown to accept my short gene:

Happiest Place on Earth

2008-09-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was a brave mom and took the boys to Disneyland by myself. It was a pretty last minute decision so I didn't get a chance to call any friends to join us.

Even though Dylan panicked on every ride, it was actually a pretty nice day. We rode on about 6 rides in 2 1/2 hours, watched the Jedi Training show (seriously the cutest show they have and deep down, I wish my boys had the guts to participate in this one), did not have any major meltdowns and returned home in time for their afternoon naps.

Now that I have survived my first solo-Disneyland trip, I think we will have to go more often.

One of the problems with going alone is that there are very few opportunities to take fun pictures. So, here is the one picture that turned out:

P.S. I just realized Dylan is wearing bright red t-shirts in the previous 3 posts. We actually have 3 of these shirts, they fit him perfectly, and so he ends up wearing at least one of them every week. So, although it may seem that he wears the same thing all the time, it is not quite the case.

1st Day of School

2008-09-15T16:45:00.001-07:00

Last week was Tyler's first day of preschool. This year was so much easier than last year since I gave him a positive incentive (bribe) of Jamba Juice after class. Although, he was a little hesitant, he walked right in and got to work playing with the cars.

When it was time to pick him up, he was sitting nicely with the class participating in the activity lead by his teacher (a big improvement over last year).

Oh yeah, and the sign in this picture is not actually lopsided. It used to have the name of his school, but for safety reasons I edited that out..

You would never know that by looking at these pictures how things quickly changed. If only I had a picture of the major temper tantrum that ensued just after Tyler realized that the Pirate Booty was gone! Let's just say that after a miserably failed attempt at giving him a time-out, the Jamba employees were not sad to see me clean up and rush the screamer/shoe-thrower to the car.

Well, at least I got a Jamba Juice out of it all!

Having Cake and Eating the Candle Too

2008-09-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a little video from Dylan's birthday. It is pretty funny because

1. Tyler freaks out and demands us to stop singing until the cake is on the table
2. Dylan freaks out because the cake is not directly in front of him
and 3. Dylan take a bite of a candle and refuses to spit it out

Happy Birthday, Big-D!

Meeting the Del Martians

2008-09-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

Last week, the boys and I visited my friend Bindi, in San Diego. She and I met 6 years ago while working at LMB and have many funny stories working at an internet start-up company. From sitting at fold-up tables instead of desks, being relegated to the basement, and taking control of the weekly massage sign ups, we have our share of laughs.

If you are ever in Del Mar, you will have to check out her store, Bathe Shop, for some great bath products. We did a little shopping, laughed at the local "Del Martians" and then ate lunch at a park on the beach. The train runs right along the coast in this area, so the boys came up close and personal with a huge commuter train during our lunch. I think Tyler had second thoughts about trains being his favorite after hearing how loud a train whistle really is. Thank you, Bindi, for a great afternoon! Even though it is less than 2 hours away, it really feels like a vacation when we go to San Diego.

Tyler's B-Day Pictures

2008-09-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

So, here are pictures from Tyler's birthday. In the morning he woke up to his door being decorated and balloons all over the floor (an idea I stole from my friend at East Coast Bosleys). At church, the primary kids sang Happy Birthday to him. What was funny is that our usually shy in public little boy was standing in front of all the kids proudly and actually sang to himself with the group. I love that kid! After church, we had to rush with the cupcakes and presents because Arthur was leaving for an out of town work conference that afternoon.

I am not exactly sure why, but he has adopted this funny pose when taking pictures. I suppose it is better than before when I had to beg or trick him into looking at the camera.

Happy Birthday Ty Ty!

31 Already?

2008-09-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last month, I turned 31 YEARS OLD! Wow, even the type looks old. Arthur continues to be the greatest gift-giver and arranged to have my mom (who was in town redecorating my house) watch the kids while we spent the night at the Grand Californian at Disneyland. The hotel is fabulous, but you will have to check out their website for pictures because the ones we took won't do justice. After dinner, we rushed outside to watch the nightly fireworks display that Disneyland puts on in the summer. In the morning, we walked around Downtown Disney, ate breakfast, and bought some light sabers for the boys.

Thank you, Arthur! I love you so much! Thank you, Mom, for watching the kids!

Star Shaped Fireworks (my personal favorite of the night)

Summer Field Trip - Travel Town

2008-09-08T17:09:00.001-07:00

It has been a very busy couple of weeks, so I am going to try to catch up.

Toward the end of August, we had our final Summer Field Trip to Travel Town. It is a train museum located in Griffith Park. I wish I had more pictures, but I don't! It is a great place to explore old locomotives and climb in and out of train cars. You can take a ride on a miniature train around the park - which is always the highlight for everyone.

Here are the kids on the train at the end of the day. It is nearly impossible to get everyone looking and smiling at the camera at the same time, so that is why I have 2 pictures that look about the same. Perhaps one of you other Moms have better pictures (hint, hint!!)??

Dylan is 2

2008-09-08T13:01:00.001-07:00

Last week, Dylan turned 2 years old! My baby is no longer a baby!

Here is a post strictly devoted to Dylan. Please stop now, unless you are a sucker for personal touching stuff. But, don't worry - after 2 sappy posts in a row, I will follow up with some good pictures next time!

Dylan, you are the most thoughtful and loving boy I know. I treasure your cuddles and your desire to make peace in the house. When kissing you, I don't always love the slobber, but I appreciate that you are not satisfied unless you plant a good wet one directly on the lips.

You wish you could do everything your big brother is doing. Lately, you have started to slide down the legs of the dinner table, while saying, "Wire Pole (Fire Pole)!" You have begun to walk up the stairs without assistance and are very tempted to walk down them.

I love your deep quiet voice. If I listen well, you say some really great stuff for a 2 year old. You are thoughtful and share your toys without much fuss. You are sensitive and kind to others. A hug from you will brighten anyone's day.

You are not the fastest kid around, but watching your bow-legged-hop-run is one of the funniest things. When we take walks, I have to constantly yell, "Come on, Dylan!" because you prefer to smell the roses and enjoy your surroundings.

You enjoy dinosaur rides with Daddy, playing elevator with Tyler, and reading books with me. You do not like messy fingers, and request multiple washings at each meal.

You are afraid of swings, costumes, and the nursery at church. When it comes to the pool, though, your fear disappears. You are an excellent swimmer. You jump into the water without hesitation and wish that I was not around sometimes to hinder your training!

As you have approached 2 years old, your independence is starting to grow. No longer do you sit next to me at the park quietly playing in the sand. You are now a wanderer, with places to go and things to explore. You voice your opinions well, and don't back away from a fight with your brother.

We have been amazed this past week watching you basically potty train yourself. Remarkably, in 9 days, you have had only 3 accidents! In fact, as I have been writing this, you walked yourself to your little potty, did your job, and got up to tell me to come look. Then, you asked me to dump the goods into the big toilet and waved goodbye as you flushed it down.

It was a big year for you as you learned to talk, walk, run, and use the bathroom. You learned to fall asleep on your own and take long afternoon naps (phew!). You are learning your shapes and can spot a circle anywhere now. Your are learning your colors and can count to 3. You sing songs as best as you can, and offer great smiles to just about anyone.

I am so proud of you in so many ways, Dylan. You have grown so much and have surprised us in so many ways. It is a pleasure and honor to be your Mom. You will always be my Little Bub!

Tyler is 4

2008-09-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Last week was Tyler's 4th Birthday. Why must children grow up so quickly?

This post is all about Tyler as I do not want to forget these things. I am sure it will bore everyone else, though, so feel free to stop reading now!

Happy 4th Birthday, Tyler!

You are the most spirited little boy I know. I love you for your determination and spunk. You never cease to surprise me and have such a range of emotions. You can be energetic and rambunctious one moment and totally quiet and nervous the next. I feel completely in awe that you are my little boy and I will get to love you forever!

In your honor, here are some fun facts about you:

This was a big year for you, Tyler! You started preschool and learned to sit still and listen to your teacher. You became more confident in working at the craft table and learned to pedal a bike. At home, you learned to write your name and most of the other letters. You also surprised us all when you started reading!

You love clocks and are starting to learn to tell time. When we are at Grandma and Grandpa's house, you are obsessed with their clocks and run to listen to the chime at every quarter hour. You get mad at us if we dare to talk during this time!

I love your energy and your zeal for life. There is nothing better than listening to you giggle and squeal!

Your most favorite thing is to run as fast as you can. Chasing and racing have become favorite games. Even walking takes a lot of energy as you tend to stomp very loudly to announce your arrival. When you are not running or stomping, you are very serious about playing with your cars or trains. You will sit quietly for long periods of time and stare at the wheels and analyze them moving and then suddenly, you will crash them with such vigor and force. You know all the Thomas trains by their number, color, and wheels. Although you don't watch too much television, your favorite movie is (surprise, surprise) Cars.

You are obsessed with garages and traffic lights. We cannot go anywhere without you taking note of which neighbors have their garage doors open or closed. You demand to wait and watch garage doors close when one of these neighbors pulls out. You even like to pretend that our central vacuum inlet cover is a garage and many hot wheels cars have been stuck inside! When we are driving and a traffic light turns yellow, you make sure to tell me to slow down and stop. While we sit at the red light, you can be heard saying "turn green! turn green! turn green!"

One of your favorite places is Kidspace because you can ride the bikes with Dylan and climb the tower. You also love the arboretum because it is a place where you can run wildly.

In church, you are in the Sunbeam class and this year you said a scripture in front of the entire Primary. Your favorite song is Called To Serve and have been known to belt it out in grocery stores and museums.

You have become a tremendous help at home this year. You often run to retrieve a plastic bag for Dylan's messy diaper changes, help clean up your toys, and teach Dylan many words and phrases. You also love to help Daddy bring in the trash cans from the street.

As I am writing this, you are sitting on my lap with a car in your hand pretending the table is a road. You keep trying to take over typing and I have to remind you that it is my turn. I know moments like this will soon pass so I hope I can remember them forever.

I will love you forever, my little buddy!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Shek!

2008-08-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Grandpa! Even though your birthday was last week, we would never want to deprive you of the traditional B-day video!

As usual, I had a completely different vision for this video, but once we got rolling it took an abrupt turn.

Tyler had an idea to pretend to "bake" a birthday cake for you, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to film the video. Baking lost it's appeal quickly, and the video somehow evolved into a little musical performance dedicated to you!

Without further ado, I present the Von Shek Boys!

Happy Family?

2008-08-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

To start this out, you need to know that in Primary the kids sing a song called "Happy Family". The words are:

I love mother; she loves me.
We love daddy, yes sirree;
He loves us, and so you see,
We are a happy family.

So, today the boys were eating cereal, and as usual they started to bicker a bit. I heard Dylan starting to cry a little. Then Tyler said, "It's ok, Dylan. You hurt me and I hurt you. I hurt you and then you hurt me!" Apparently, this reminded him of the song "Happy Family", so he started to sing:

You hurt me; and I hurt you
I hurt you; and you hurt me
hmm, hmm, hmm, hmmm
We are a happy family.

Home Makeover

2008-08-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

I have never been fond of the color of our walls, but because of our 18 foot ceilings, I thought it was impossible to paint it ourselves. The thought of hiring a painter just seemed like a waste of money, so we have never done it. I should know not to say something is impossible in front of my mom. So, after 7 trips to Home Depot, almost falling off of a 20 foot ladder, taping a paint brush to the end of a pole to be able to reach edges, and a lot of fun, the room was painted.

I forgot to take "before" pictures, but was able to track down a few random shots to give a better idea.

Bedroom before (notice furniture placement and wall-color):

Bedroom after (I still need to hang pictures and make some curtains):

And because my mom doesn't know how to relax when she visits, she decided to remove a nasty shower door that was moldy and broken and installed a shower curtain.

Before:

After:

When she finished all of that, she didn't want the unused paint to waste, so she painted a bathroom, replaced our towel bars, toilet paper holder, and gave us the softest towels I have ever felt. I don't have a before picture, but I am sure you can imagine:

Did I mention that my mom is old-enough to have a 43 year old son???

Thank you, Mom! I wish I had as much energy as you do!

Summer Field Trip - Science Center

2008-08-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

So, last week, we met up at the California Science Center. This is one of our favorite museums and we visit pretty often. The best part is that it is completely FREE!! Well, this time, we met with our group, saw a few exhibits and then went outside to eat lunch. When we were done, a few of us decided to head over to the Air & Space Museum (which is also free). In no way does this compare to the Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C., but it was still fun for the kids. They could hop on a L.A.P.D. Helicopter, shoot airplanes (Dylan's fav), and watch a parachute fall. Plus, it has an extra large elevator - which pleased Tyler immensely!

Here are 2 pictures with the kids piled into the helicopter. As usual, it is nearly impossible to get everyone to sit nicely and look at the camera for the shot!

Chlorine in the Veins?

2008-08-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

I know my boys look a lot more like Arthur than me. They are adorably handsome boys, so I am fine with it! But, when I look at pictures like this, I start to think that they might be a little bit like me on the inside. After all, it is what's on the inside that really counts!

Chinese Food Weekend

2008-08-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Arthur's parents were in town for the weekend. We love having them visit, because we get to eat lots of good Chinese food. Even though we ended up at the wrong Sam Woo BBQ location, the food was still just as good as always.

Here are Tyler and Dylan with 2 of their favorite people in the world:

And of course, we had to hit up Ocean Star for Dim Sum the next day. Here are Tyler and Dylan with 3 more of their favorite people in the world:

Mormon Night at Dodger Stadium

2008-08-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we had nose-bleed seats, we missed Manny by one day, and we lost the game. Normally, that would be a bummer of a night, but at least we were sitting by about 50 of our friends and thousands of other Mormons to make it fun!

BJ's GNO

2008-08-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

Our good friend, Tisha, was in town briefly, so what better way to catch up? Girl's Night Out at BJ's, of course! As usual, we talked and laughed and scared the first-time pregnant girls with birthing horror stories. Hopefully someone will send me a picture with all 9 of us, but for now, this is the only one that I have that didn't emphasize a weird double chin or crazy eyes on someone:

It was so much fun, Tisha! You know, our little town is just not the same without you!

Wannabe Annie Leibovitz

2008-07-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

In another life, I think I would have liked to be a photographer. I have absolutely zero artistic ability, but I have always loved taking pictures and looking at photos. In 5th grade, I actually convinced my mom to allow me to buy a book called "How to Use a Camera" in one of our book orders. It was a small book with probably 15 pages of large-print instructions on camera use. It was definitely written for children to read and did not provide any major technical instruction. I did not own a camera and there was no way my dad was going to let me borrow his huge bulky camera that cost a fortune (remember, this was in the 80's!). I would sit in my room reading this basic book and imagine how fun it would be to actually take real pictures.

My little Canon digital has been perfect for taking memorable shots of the kids, but very rarely do I take a shot worthy of being framed. But, because of an assignment, Arthur was able to borrow a Canon SLR camera from work. He brought it home last night and let us play a little. It was fun and addicting trying to take nice pictures. We definitely were better at taking pictures of inanimate objects rather than our lively children. But, it was fun, nonetheless!

We definitely need practice taking pictures of the kids, but I don't think these are too bad for a first try!

Pictures of Arthur's fried rice turned out looking scrumptious, though!
And a few odds and ends around the house actually didn't end up looking like odds and ends!

Beating the Monday Blues

2008-07-21T20:26:00.001-07:00

We met up with friends at the Griffith Park Merry-go-Round this morning as part of our summer activity field trips. It is remarkable that after 80 years, the merry-go-round can still give the children a thrill. Tyler loved riding his own horse, but Dylan sort of froze in terror for most of the ride. Toward the end of it, he began to loosen his grip on me and started to enjoy himself. When the ride was over, we went to a nearby playground for lunch.

The boys had great naps and behaved quite well in the evening, so after Family Home Evening, we went to a local shop for ice cream.

Summer Field Trip - La Brea Tar Pits

2008-07-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

As part of our summer activities, we went to the Boone Children's Gallery, but I forgot to bring my camera. It is a place where kids can use various supplies to create art projects. The boys did enjoy the paint area, but since they are not very artistic, they had more fun running around the padded building block area.

The next week, we joined a few friends and went out to the La Brea Tar Pits. It is an interesting museum that documents life in Los Angeles between 40,000 - 10,000 BC. Tar continues to bubble up from beneath the ground, so there is a very strong odor. This tar trapped many Ice Age animals and preserved their bones quite well. The boys enjoyed watching the Wooly Mammoth display, but were a bit frightened when it would lift it's head and roar. Although they dragged me over to it about 6 times, they were too afraid to stand next to it by themselves for a picture. I am sure you can imagine what Tyler and Dylan would look like standing next to a life size wooly mammoth, though.

Here are the kids outside the museum, where they entertained themselves running up and down the hill. At one point, we got almost all of them to sit nicely for a picture (Afton and David - sorry we missed you!):

Latest Dance Craze

2008-07-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

Tyler has been working really hard on his latest dance moves. Unfortunately, practice does not seem to be helping him much.

(P.S. my computer kept crashing, so I was not able to fix a few editing glitches...apologies)

Summer Field Trip - Getty Center

2008-07-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

A group of us with kids have organized summer field trips to keep us busy during the summer. Each week, we have been visiting fun places throughout town. I have quite a few to catch up on, and hope to get all those posted quickly.

Back at the end of June was our first activity. We went to the Getty Center, which is this gorgeous museum that sits on top of a hill on the west side of town. The views are spectacular and they have some fun activities for the kids.

Even LA traffic wasn't going to keep us from having a good time!

Dylan and Tyler enjoying some of the travertine blocks that were shipped all the way from a quarry in Italy (there are actually fossils in the travertine)
Tyler, Nathan, Bennet, Sarah, and Natalie modeling their hand-made masks
Riding the tram - probably one of the favorite parts of the museum
We can't forget the cute stroller kids on the tram!

If you are in need of a few more pictures from the Getty, check here and here for pictures from a prior visit.

TP'ing the Office

2008-07-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I never learn my lesson. Whenever it is quiet in the house, I actually think that the boys must be playing nicely. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case.....

Book Worm

2008-07-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy summer and I have lots to post. Hopefully I will get motivated and get all the pictures together. In the meantime, I have to brag a little about Tyler. Since his preschool is out for the summer, he has been working really hard on a new skill. Although, he has quite a bit of work to go, I never thought he would pick it up so quickly.

I love you, buddy! I am so proud of you!

Goofy's Going to Get You!

2008-06-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

I just never know how my boys will react. Dylan loves to snuggle with his stuffed animals, will spend hours with the neighbors cats, and walks up to pat any dog on the street. But, you get him near a cute Disney character, and he freezes out of fear.

Such was the case yesterday at the Disney company picnic at the Santa Anita Race track. Mickey and Minnie were about to take their break, so we did not get a chance to get a picture with them. The line for Goofy was not too bad, so we waited patiently. The entire time, Dylan was clawing me to try to get as far away from him as quickly as possible. "No, No, No!!" was all he could utter with his limited vocabulary, but being the mean parents we are, we tortured the poor kid and took a family shot anyway.

Tyler is perpetually the shy kid in unfamiliar situations. He will hide behind me when friends come to visit, and will stick his hand in his mouth if a friendly person asks him a question. It takes a bit of patience to get him to open up and have fun in most situations. But, yesterday he surprised me as well.

We walked into the picnic and saw the pony rides. I have wanted him to take a pony ride ever since he could sit up on his own at 6 months, but have never been able to get him to do it. I won't give up trying, so as usual, I pointed out the adorable horses in my positive and upbeat voice. Then, we waited in the line without pressuring him at all. Nothing but positive words came out of our mouths, "Look at how pretty the horses are, Tyler!" "Look at how much fun all the other children are having!" "Won't you have so much fun riding?" "Which horse do you like the best?" I prepared myself for the scene at the front of the line when I would have to escort my screaming child away from the horses. I knew I would have to react quickly to avoid having his ear-piercing screams not scare the horses and risk getting us kicked out of the park. But this time, something different happened!

Not only did Tyler actually get on the horse, but he had a great time . Just to add even more joy to this already perfect moment, Dylan also had no problem getting on the horse, and rode with pride!

The rest of the sun-scorching afternoon was filled with train rides, ice cream, and lots and lots of water!

Slip 'n Slide and Roasting Weenies

2008-06-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law was in town with her 4 children visiting her parents in Ojai. So, she invited me and the boys to come up for a weenie roast. Since I have actually never been to a weenie roast, there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity! I couldn't think of a better way of spending my Friday evening than roasting weenies! I mean just saying the words "weenie roast" brings a smile to your face!

So, we drove out to Ojai and spent the day swimming, and playing with cousins. That night, we headed over to one of Patty's parent's properties for the weenie roast (just typing it brings a smile). Of course, the highlight of the evening was riding on the 4-wheelers and the "Gator"!

Tyson and Dylan
Amanda and Dylan
Slip 'n Slide Contest
Tyler scored a 7 on this one

Jimmy got an 8 for style !
Gator-Riding

Finally, just because videos are fun, here is a 10 second clip of Todd and Tyler doing some Slip 'n Sliding:

Sacramento

2008-06-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we went up to Sacramento. It is always great to go up north because both of our parents live there and the boys have the chance to visit with so many family members. My brother, Mike, was also going to be in town for business. A couple weeks before the trip, his wife, Rhoda decided she wanted to go through the temple for the first time. So, she came along with their two boys and they were all able to get sealed together in the temple.

I apologize up front for all the pictures! When you have 2 great-grandparents, 4 grandparents, 6 cousins, 4 uncles, 2 aunts, 1 water hose, 1 swimming pool, and a lot of good Chinese food, there will always be too many pictures to choose from!

The newly sealed Family (with my parents)

Arthur is just not much for PDA
Not quite all of usFun at Grandma and Grandpa Shek's House
Cousin Fun (yes - all 6 of them are boys)Arthur turned 32 while we were there, and he got not 1 , but 2 birthday cakes!Feeling like a kid in a....

3-2-1 Blast Off!

2008-06-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Tyler's first year of preschool is over! He started out having too much uncontrolled energy to sit still for circle time and did not play with other children. He would not speak in front of his class, could not pedal a bike, cut with scissors, or use a pencil. Only 9 months later, and he is close to mastering all of these skills. He begs to go to school on days that he does not attend. He loves to do his workbooks in the morning with me and at night with Daddy. He can write his name, knows the sound of almost all of the letters and has even read some words by sounding them out (frog, zoo, cat, and dog to name a few)!

We have had so many ups and downs this year, but looking back, I cannot believe all that he has learned. I am excited to see what the next year will bring for us, but sad that my little man is growing up so quickly. Tyler, it is a pleasure to be your mom! Congrats on finishing your first year of school!

With his teachers - I was amazed that he actually let me take this shot!

Blasting Off to Pre-K (I had to do a count-down for him to stand there)!
Last day of school - at the picnic dinner, Dylan was able to catch a few fish!
The only shot with both boys at the picnic.
The rest of the night, Tyler was running as fast as he could or jumping hurdles (see video)!
Arthur hopes that this video is a prequel to his future high school days. Perhaps, Tyler can excel at the hurdles just like his Dad???

Overheard Today

2008-06-05T17:45:00.001-07:00

While driving the car...

Me: Tyler, what do you want to get Daddy for Father's Day?
Ty: Um, a Christmas Tree!
Me: A Christmas Tree? Anything else?
Ty: Yeah, a little Christmas Tree!

Later that day, I started to sing the SpongeBob Square Pants theme song...

Me: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
Dylan: ME!

**(Dylan only has about 15 words in his vocabulary and doesn't answer questions yet)

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

2008-06-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Future Tiger Woods?

2008-05-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

We stole an idea from the Bates Family and went miniature golfing for our Family Home Evening a couple weeks ago. There is little golf course nearby that is perfect for small children.

Tyler actually made a few shots! Dylan was just happy to walk around holding onto a club the entire night. We were the only people on the course until the very end of our game when none other than the Bates showed up!