Just a photo I love

Lien running through a labyrinth at the University of St. Thomas.

We needed to kill time between her fun run and our hair appointments, so we visited St. Thomas. It was the first time I had been back in six years- if you don't count Happy Hour at the Black Lab.

My little dictionary

Every day I pick Liên up from school, and every day I ask her how her day was. She usually responds “good” or “fine." Today her answer was a little different:

“How was your day Liên?”
“It was exasperating!”

Here are a few more contenders for the Christmas card:

These were the second string costumes worn for a fellowship dinner. You'll see the real halloween costumes later.

I like my life too

Liên is a picky eater, much more so than her two sisters. I blame myself for not starting her on “real food” soon enough. Her first bite of anything other than baby food and cheerios was her first birthday cake. My reasoning was that everything Tai and I eat was too spicy for her. Which was true, but with my younger girls I learned to adjust. Today I told Liên I read in Parents magazine that kids should eat what their parents eat or have to eat cereal for dinner.

What was Liên’s response?

“I like my life the way it is.”

Old Macdonald's Farm

This weekend we went to Old MacDonald's farm- no, seriously, that's the name of the place. Mai asked to see Old MacDonald. The nice lady at the entrance told Mai he had Sunday's off.

They had animals roaming free all over the grounds, a dozen pens you could go into to pet more animals, a train, pony rides, a hay barn, forts and playgrounds, a sand mountain, and a pumpkin patch (the only reason we waited until fall to go).



My continued attempt to get a good Christmas Card photo...

My Day

Well, this blog is called Dawn's Day, so this was my day today....

• Wake up, wash face and brush teeth while giving a Lien a bath that she didn't get last night because Tai was fixing the water heater.
• Get girls dressed, teeth brushed, hair fixed, socks and shoes on and into the car. (Tai is in charge of fixing breakfast and packing lunches.)
• (In garage) Do I smell gas? I think I smell gas? Tai was fixing water heater last night.
• Drop off Lien
• Pick up two kiddos I take to preschool every day.
• Drop Mai and kiddos off at preschool
• Remember that I have to go inside to pay October tuition- park car, get Lily out and go inside
• Go back home, I still smell gas. Call gas company- they ware out in 30 minutes in the rain- very impressive. Yes, we have a small gas leak. Tai didn't quite tighten one hose tight enough when he was fixing the water heater. Very nice gas company guy tightens hose and checks all other gas appliances- complements Tai on a job well done on the water heater- except for the one hose.
• Go to Sams in the rain (because I always go to Sams on the 15th)- buy lots of stuff! Deal of the day- 42 fruit snacks for $3.11- I buy 3 boxes.
• Come home and put Lily down for her nap- clean house like a crazy woman for 90 minutes- laundry, dishes, beds- DONE!
• Lily wakes up with EXPLOSIVE DIAPER- do more laundry.
• Oh, there's another one- oh no, Lily has a tummy bug.
• Give Lily a bath- she poops in the tub.
• Drain water and start over- throw three bath toys away.
• Get Lily dressed.
• Decide I have time to pick up fairy wings at Party City for Halloween costumes before getting Mai.
• Go to Party City.
• Pick up Mai and 2 kiddos
• Drop off 2 kiddos.
• Go home- Mai's naps.
• Pick up Lien.
• Feed girls dinner.
• Give Lily bath- again.
• Tai gets home
• Go to Mary Kay training after dark in the rain. I hate driving in the dark or the rain.
• Type my blog before bath and bed!

Goodnight!

That time of year

It's that time of year again. When October arrives it's time for me to start taking hundreds of photos (literally) in an attempt to get one really good one for the family Christmas card. Not since Lien was an only child have we had a Christmas card I've been "thrilled" with. It's so impossible to see their individual personalities and see there faces in one shot.

Nudity?....nah.

These are the PJs they wore in last year's photo, at least for Lien and Mai. The couch is no good, let's move to Mommy's room!

Why is it there is one child that looks like the devil when the other two look angelic?

And then there was this little gem....lizard kisses, yuck!
We're done for the day.

Polite Child

Lien and Mai sleep on Bunk beds. Lien always makes up her top bunk but today she made up Mai's bed too.

When I thanked her for making up Mai's bed she responded, "Oh, it was my pleasure." I have such a polite child. (content sigh)

Lily's first sentence

There is nothing cuter than a 19-month-old saying, “Ma- ma, air are ooo?”
(Translation: Mama, where are you?)

I love my husband. I adore my husband. BUT, like every husband, he does some things sometimes that totally drive me crazy. Tonight I was watching the debate in our room and he was watching something else in the living room. He came into our room to tell me the phone was ringing (the ringer in our room is intentionally turned off). Why can’t he just answer the phone and bring it to me?

My mom called to tell me my grandmother broke her arm. That is not good. My dad was actually there at the time and called 911. Thank goodness, because my grandfather has Alzheimer’s and dementia and wouldn’t know what to do. My grandmother is the “healthy” one. Ugh….

Doing unto others...

If you don't hear from me for a while it's because I'm working on a very important and time consuming project....


September 29, 2008

Dear Fellow Parents-

When Nancy sent a letter home last week asking for ideas to help the victims of Hurricane Ike, I had the idea to adopt a preschool. With Nancy’s blessing, I have found a preschool very similar to THCS, which dearly needs our help, and I am happy to volunteer and lead the effort.

East End Preschool & Kindergarten (EEP) is affiliated with First Presbyterian Church in Galveston and has been serving the community over 20 years. The church was built in 1870 and has never taken on water; during Ike it had 34 inches. The school took on three feet of water and lost their entire office, art supply closet, toy closet, and everything in four classrooms (books, furniture, cubbies, supplies, toys, etc.). The entire Children’s Library for the church and school is gone. EEP has 88 students ranging from infants to kindergartners. Many of their students’ homes have also been devastated.

THCS is going to embrace East End Preschool and help them get back on their feet, but it is going to be a process. The first immediate need is clothing for the students and their siblings. The director told me most families, including hers, left town with only three days of clothing.

We will be collecting new and gently used boys and girls clothing, size newborn to size 16. Please make sure clothes are freshly washed if they have been in storage, and separate into bags by gender. (New underwear only please.) Please bring items to the THCS office. I will plan a volunteer workday to fold, sort and pack everything to take to Galveston.

East End Preschool will not be able to open the school for three months. When the school opens they will need books, toys, games, puzzles, baby gear (cribs or portable cribs, stationary entertainers, highchairs, and play mats), climbing toys, kids furniture, step stools, and all classroom supplies. Please keep this in mind as your children outgrow their toys and baby gear. We don’t have the storage space at THCS to start collecting these items now, but will send another letter home when we are ready, probably in early December.

We will need boxes to pack everything up. If you or your company can provide storage or moving boxes, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your generosity.