Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
saturday stuff
We started the day with a trip to the university campus to feed the ducks. For M, it was some serious biz-ness! At times he would completely forget that the stale bread and bagels were for the birds, and then he'd stuff some in his mouth. Other times I'd see him start to take a bite, stop, shake his head NO, and then toss the piece to the ducks.
Scott & M hung out today when I went mattress shopping (if anyone has a recommendation for a twin mattress please share because looking at mattresses is almost as utterly unbearable as flying with a baby.....NOT!). They were out on a walk and M started saying "oval, oval"...Scott wasn't sure what M was talking about til he saw a train station sign in the shape of an oval. Funny little guy!
Tonight we walked over to nearby restaurant for dinner and were happy to see they had a band! Matthew was dancing, squealing, and clapping...very funny since he is usually Mr. StraightFace. Our town's annual wine fest is going on, and I was tempted to think M snuck out of the house for a little wine tasting...he was THAT loopy!
Here are some photos from last night at the farmer's market and today at the duck pond.
Mom, if you are reading this....I LOVE YOU!!!!!
Scott & M hung out today when I went mattress shopping (if anyone has a recommendation for a twin mattress please share because looking at mattresses is almost as utterly unbearable as flying with a baby.....NOT!). They were out on a walk and M started saying "oval, oval"...Scott wasn't sure what M was talking about til he saw a train station sign in the shape of an oval. Funny little guy!
Tonight we walked over to nearby restaurant for dinner and were happy to see they had a band! Matthew was dancing, squealing, and clapping...very funny since he is usually Mr. StraightFace. Our town's annual wine fest is going on, and I was tempted to think M snuck out of the house for a little wine tasting...he was THAT loopy!
Here are some photos from last night at the farmer's market and today at the duck pond.
Mom, if you are reading this....I LOVE YOU!!!!!
Friday, August 29, 2008
fall fashion for your blog
if your blog is ready to slip into a new style for fall, check out Rebecca's new design site
Uptown Design Studio
and let Rebecca dress your blog in the latest fashions for the new season!
Then head over to Rebecca's family blog to enter a FUN GIVEAWAY!!!
Uptown Design Studio
and let Rebecca dress your blog in the latest fashions for the new season!
Then head over to Rebecca's family blog to enter a FUN GIVEAWAY!!!
Taiwan Tips #4
Photos from our morning walk:
MY QUESTION: Regarding Taiwan and its culture, would you say there are any "must knows" for an adopted child? Anything that you would consider the thread of the culture that our son should have knowledge about?
HER ANSWER:
To me, I think the 'common' threads are:
1)Taiwan is the melting pot of China and East Asia and Taiwanese. You might find this funny, because most Westerners have the misconception that there is a monolithic Chinese culture. China actually has a very diversified cultures of difference 'peoples' (Han, Manchu, Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Mio, Yioa and etc..) However, due to geographical limit, these diversified peoples didn't mix much until KMT retreated to Taiwan after losing the civil war. Of course Han Chinese from Fujian immigrated to Taiwan first and built a dominant culture and language that is more Southern Fujianese centric. When KMT armies arrived, many of the soldiers from all over China brought their hometown's traditions, dialects, and food. Over the years Taiwan has blended these different cultures in the food, and people. This mix is most obvious in a variety of Chinese cuisines that you can get in Taipei.
2) Taiwanese are very hospitable and friendly.. much more so than mainland Chinese or people from Hong Kong. We are just very "busy body" but I love that about Taiwanese. (Even though there is a cruel side of Taiwanese culture, but now I feel this balances it and that is why I still hope to move back to Taiwan one day.)
3) Taiwanese are proud that Taiwan is the 'first' democratic Chinese society. :)
4) Taiwanese are adventurous and very entrepreneurial (after all we are descendants of explorers who crossed oceans or the Taiwan Strait to look for a better life in an unknown Island:). That is how we achieved the economic 'miracle' despite constant military threat from China. Our economic miracle was built by millions of small businessmen who often had very little education and they just knocked on [the doors of] Western companies with a suitcase of samples. If you think about it, Taiwan's situation is very similar to that of the Palestinians: both up against a stronger 'country' next door and is not recognized as a 'country' by the majority of the world. Yet, Taiwan has been practical and were able to find creative and practical ways to co-exist with China which is no small feat. Instead of sinking into a cycle of violence and fight against the stronger 'enemy', Taiwan is a now a thriving democratic society, even though not officially recognized by most nations. Under China's threat, Taiwanese has churned out companies that manufacturing shoes, Tennis racquets, high tech companies that for computers (Acers, BenQ), computer chips (TSMC) and foundry manufactures. A big part of China's current economic development was from direct/indirect investments and factories built by Taiwanese businessmen. Taiwan has one of the highest foreign reserve in the world. I am very proud of Taiwan's economic achievements, also considering that Taiwan is only 1/2 the size of CA! :) Can you actually see that Americans and Taiwanese are actually very similar in our entrepreneurial spirits..:)~
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_20/b3933011.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_in_Taiwan
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_20/b3933011.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_in_Taiwan
Thursday, August 28, 2008
zeal
7 years ago he passed away. My Papa.
I don't talk about my grandfather much...perhaps because of shame I feel over one of our last real conversations. Papa was trying to share his faith with me. I viewed his sincerity as weakness and his zeal as judgmental. And I rudely dismissed and ridiculed him.
I thought he spoke in arrogance...assuming his beliefs were the only right way. How dare he think that I wouldn't go to heaven? I was, afterall, a "good person" while he was the one being elitist and narrow-minded.
Months passed and in the wee hours of a midwest summer morning in 2000, Papa stood in my driveway and waved as I buckled into a Uhaul and headed west. It was one of the last times I would see him. My final memory of him was, during a visit back to IL, holding his leathered hand in mine as we sat at his kitchen table. Too weak to speak, he only nodded periodically as I made conversation.
Papa passed away shortly after I returned to CA, and I was unable to fly back home for the memorial services. Devastated, on the day of the funeral I sat on a deflating air mattress in my studio apartment and tried to "be present" with my grieving family. In a silence broken only by my sobs I imagined seeing Papa in his casket, laughing at stories told in his honor, and clinging tightly to those who shared my memories of him.
Little did I know that God would use the emptiness and sadness I was feeling to draw me to Himself. And that He would repeatedly bring to my mind the words my grandpa spoke that day as he shared his faith with me.
Now that I am a Christian I know that my grandfather wasn't sharing his faith in judgment but in humility. He was speaking from a heart humbled by the realization of being a sinner in need of a Savior. He wasn't trying to beat me down but to give me hope. And while I know if he were still alive we would debate doctrine til the sun went down, I truly believe that we would agree on the essential: Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, our Rescuer, our Hope, and our Lord.
The purpose of this long-winded, nostalgic post? I honestly don't know. But the other day my mom called me a "zealot" in terms of my faith (I'm sure she meant it in the most loving way!)...and it made me think about my Papa and his zeal on that night so long ago.
A "zealot" she called me...and rightfully so, I suppose. But so often the zeal of a Christian can be mistaken for condemnation and judgment and narrow-mindedness when, in reality, it is simply a response to the undeserved forgiveness, the endless mercy, and the incomprehensible grace that is daily lavished on a child of God. A truth I believe my Papa understood.
I don't talk about my grandfather much...perhaps because of shame I feel over one of our last real conversations. Papa was trying to share his faith with me. I viewed his sincerity as weakness and his zeal as judgmental. And I rudely dismissed and ridiculed him.
I thought he spoke in arrogance...assuming his beliefs were the only right way. How dare he think that I wouldn't go to heaven? I was, afterall, a "good person" while he was the one being elitist and narrow-minded.
Months passed and in the wee hours of a midwest summer morning in 2000, Papa stood in my driveway and waved as I buckled into a Uhaul and headed west. It was one of the last times I would see him. My final memory of him was, during a visit back to IL, holding his leathered hand in mine as we sat at his kitchen table. Too weak to speak, he only nodded periodically as I made conversation.
Papa passed away shortly after I returned to CA, and I was unable to fly back home for the memorial services. Devastated, on the day of the funeral I sat on a deflating air mattress in my studio apartment and tried to "be present" with my grieving family. In a silence broken only by my sobs I imagined seeing Papa in his casket, laughing at stories told in his honor, and clinging tightly to those who shared my memories of him.
Little did I know that God would use the emptiness and sadness I was feeling to draw me to Himself. And that He would repeatedly bring to my mind the words my grandpa spoke that day as he shared his faith with me.
Now that I am a Christian I know that my grandfather wasn't sharing his faith in judgment but in humility. He was speaking from a heart humbled by the realization of being a sinner in need of a Savior. He wasn't trying to beat me down but to give me hope. And while I know if he were still alive we would debate doctrine til the sun went down, I truly believe that we would agree on the essential: Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, our Rescuer, our Hope, and our Lord.
The purpose of this long-winded, nostalgic post? I honestly don't know. But the other day my mom called me a "zealot" in terms of my faith (I'm sure she meant it in the most loving way!)...and it made me think about my Papa and his zeal on that night so long ago.
A "zealot" she called me...and rightfully so, I suppose. But so often the zeal of a Christian can be mistaken for condemnation and judgment and narrow-mindedness when, in reality, it is simply a response to the undeserved forgiveness, the endless mercy, and the incomprehensible grace that is daily lavished on a child of God. A truth I believe my Papa understood.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
UPdate
A little late on a 19 month update! M is up to SIX teeth and FOUR words!
His words are
- help
- Dada
- uh-oh
- oval
He also tries to make some animal sounds...and I think we got a "mom" out of him while we were in IL. He also for the first time did a good raspberry/blowing bubbles thing with his mouth on the plane ride home.
I can now write short words on cards, put them on the floor in front of the fridge, and he will find the magnetic letters to place on top of the written letters on the card.
I continue to be amazed at his
- receptive language - you don't really have to change the way you talk to him (i.e., slow down, repeat a bunch of times, etc) - he just gets what you are saying and follows through on what you ask him to do
- memory - when we get together with people, you only have to tell him their names once and he remembers who they are and things about them. Even on the plane ride home I would say a name of someone he may have seen only once or twice, and he would do the action of what he remembered that person doing.
- observation skills - I never realize how much he is paying attention to all that is going on...even if he doesn't seem like he is...until he mimics an action or seems to remember something I had no clue he knew about.
- understanding of "issues of the heart" - for ex, you will see from the photos that my sweet Mom has cancer. M and I have read in his kids' Bible the story of Jesus healing Jairus' daughter. I mentioned Jairus, and M remembered that story. As he and I were praying for my Mom one night before bed, M pointed upstairs where she was and started saying "help, help." I asked if Jesus could help her, and he nodded.
Here are photos from the trip, courtesy of Smooch. I tried to take a break from the camera and just enjoy the moments! Sorry some are a little fuzzy; I think it's a MP issue.
His words are
- help
- Dada
- uh-oh
- oval
He also tries to make some animal sounds...and I think we got a "mom" out of him while we were in IL. He also for the first time did a good raspberry/blowing bubbles thing with his mouth on the plane ride home.
I can now write short words on cards, put them on the floor in front of the fridge, and he will find the magnetic letters to place on top of the written letters on the card.
I continue to be amazed at his
- receptive language - you don't really have to change the way you talk to him (i.e., slow down, repeat a bunch of times, etc) - he just gets what you are saying and follows through on what you ask him to do
- memory - when we get together with people, you only have to tell him their names once and he remembers who they are and things about them. Even on the plane ride home I would say a name of someone he may have seen only once or twice, and he would do the action of what he remembered that person doing.
- observation skills - I never realize how much he is paying attention to all that is going on...even if he doesn't seem like he is...until he mimics an action or seems to remember something I had no clue he knew about.
- understanding of "issues of the heart" - for ex, you will see from the photos that my sweet Mom has cancer. M and I have read in his kids' Bible the story of Jesus healing Jairus' daughter. I mentioned Jairus, and M remembered that story. As he and I were praying for my Mom one night before bed, M pointed upstairs where she was and started saying "help, help." I asked if Jesus could help her, and he nodded.
Here are photos from the trip, courtesy of Smooch. I tried to take a break from the camera and just enjoy the moments! Sorry some are a little fuzzy; I think it's a MP issue.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
we did not escape unscathed...
This post could also be titled "Nightmare at 30,000 feet" or "The day the friendly skies took a turn for the worse" or "Hey, flight attendant, get me a triple shot of whiskey...and I don't care if it costs more than my airfare."
Our trip home from IL was every bit as horrible as our trip to IL was wonderful.
A lady was kicked. A flight attendant was cried at. A little head badly conked when tantrum convulsions led to the said head making direct contact with the metal arm rest. Twice.
Oh yeah, and the juice cup...brought out as a saving grace in hopes of calming the storm. I handed it to Mr. Hysterics and, when the top was flipped back to expose the straw, the laws of physics kicked in and juice-under-pressure went spraying 15 feet in all directions. This, of course, only served to fuel the fire of fury in M. So I flipped back the top and frantically searched for the baby wipes. Of course, M couldn't leave it alone and so we spent the next few moments..which in reality was a slow motion play-out of eternity...with M opening the top, getting sprayed in the face, screaming more, and me closing the top, unsuccessfully trying to quiet him, and wiping apple juice off of irritated travelers with my soggy baby wipes.
And that was just in-flight.
Screams of protest coming from the public bathroom. Screams of selfishness coming from the kids' play area. Screams echoing throughout the long corridors...and all erupting from the mouth of my kid.
The words "Flight attendants, please prepare the plane for landing" have never sounded so good.
I wasn't surprised. I knew it was coming. M's sleep while at my mom's was diminishing every day....naps shorter...nights more restless. And so again, on travel day after a night lacking of zzzzz's, he woke too early, took a 40 min nap pre-flight, and never shut his eyes again.
I think the next time we decide to travel out of state, we're walking.
edited2add: Hey Shelly from Nashville! Thanks for de-lurking! Yes, Monical's is always a MUST when I go home. I could eat a whole large pizza by myself. Usually I do the one-two punch and get Monical's AND Avanti's!!!
Our trip home from IL was every bit as horrible as our trip to IL was wonderful.
A lady was kicked. A flight attendant was cried at. A little head badly conked when tantrum convulsions led to the said head making direct contact with the metal arm rest. Twice.
Oh yeah, and the juice cup...brought out as a saving grace in hopes of calming the storm. I handed it to Mr. Hysterics and, when the top was flipped back to expose the straw, the laws of physics kicked in and juice-under-pressure went spraying 15 feet in all directions. This, of course, only served to fuel the fire of fury in M. So I flipped back the top and frantically searched for the baby wipes. Of course, M couldn't leave it alone and so we spent the next few moments..which in reality was a slow motion play-out of eternity...with M opening the top, getting sprayed in the face, screaming more, and me closing the top, unsuccessfully trying to quiet him, and wiping apple juice off of irritated travelers with my soggy baby wipes.
And that was just in-flight.
Screams of protest coming from the public bathroom. Screams of selfishness coming from the kids' play area. Screams echoing throughout the long corridors...and all erupting from the mouth of my kid.
The words "Flight attendants, please prepare the plane for landing" have never sounded so good.
I wasn't surprised. I knew it was coming. M's sleep while at my mom's was diminishing every day....naps shorter...nights more restless. And so again, on travel day after a night lacking of zzzzz's, he woke too early, took a 40 min nap pre-flight, and never shut his eyes again.
I think the next time we decide to travel out of state, we're walking.
edited2add: Hey Shelly from Nashville! Thanks for de-lurking! Yes, Monical's is always a MUST when I go home. I could eat a whole large pizza by myself. Usually I do the one-two punch and get Monical's AND Avanti's!!!
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