Recap of the Summer - June & July 2011

Dear Logan,

Oh My!  I haven't written to you in two months!  I can't believe I've been putting this off for so long.  I am so sorry.  I don't even remember what I've done the last two months.  I need to take a look at the pictures that I've taken and then give you a run down.

June 19 - Father's Day!  Mommy and Aidan took Daddy to a nice fancy lunch at Parcel 104.  We had a BBQ lunch.  The food tasted OK, though not worth the price.  I figured, this might be a good excuse to visit a fancy restaurant without paying for the full price.

June 23 - We went to our first San Jose Giants game of the season.  Yahoo! was a sponsor for the evening, so they were giving out free tickets to their employees.  Since I purchased a kid membership through Groupon, your brother was able to play the games unlimited times.  He was in the batting cage, and the very nice staff pitched to him instead of using the machine (too fast for him).  We cheered for the Giants, but didn't stay till the end since it's a school night.  We'll be back again in August for another game.

June 26 - We had a playdate with Melanie, Uncle Kyle and Auntie Leonor.  They had free tickets to the San Francisco Zoo and we spent the afternoon there.  I never realized the zoo was so big until you're hanging out with two little kids.  We probably only checked out 1/4 of the zoo, and mainly in the children and petting zoo.

July 2 - We headed to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for this super busy July 4th weekend.  It was beautiful and hot!  We spent some time at the beach first, and getting your brother comfortable in walking & playing in the sand.  When we came here two years ago, he wasn't very keen on getting sand in his feet.  After the beach, we were playing games on the boardwalk.  This time around, he was older and was able to get a lot more out of the fun rides and food there.  There were rides he could go by himself, and some that Daddy and Mommy took turns going on with him.  Aidan didn't want to leave at the end of the day.  He said he wanted to come back again.  I bet we'll be back again before the season ends.

July 22 - We headed to Yahoo! Family Fun Day.  They have it every year and we weren't there early enough to take full advantage of the event.  By the time we finished eating, the lines to all games were so long.  Aidan played some games, but wasn't patient enough to wait in line for other more popular attractions.  He did enjoy  free popsicles and ice-creams.

Now that I listed everything down, wow, we had a very busy summer.  Summer is not over yet and we have many more fun things to do.  I hope to go back to Santa Cruz before the season ends, and maybe another SF Giants game, but I doubt it.  I'll keep you posted!

Love you,

Mommy

Aidan's BFF

Dear Logan,

Remember your brother's best friend, Jia Jia, from CCLC?  Her mother called me up and said Jia Jia misses Aidan.  So we set-up a playdate and met today.  We headed over to Jia Jia's house, and the two of them played like they have never been separated.  Wasn't that cool?  In reality, Aidan hasn't seen Jia Jian since the end of July.  In the beginning, your brother was more into the toys in the house than actually playing with Jia Jia.  But after a little warm up, they were acting silly as usual.  I wonder how long this friendship will last.  If Jia Jia and her mother are willing, I would love to keep this friendship going.  It doesn't hurt that us mommies also seemed to get along pretty well.

Oh, since it's pre-Halloween, we decorated a few pumpkins for you.  I used a sharpie and drew out some silly things on the miniature pumpkins.  Aidan wanted to participate and drew a smiley face for you.  At first, I thought I would bring them all to you.  But after some thought, I worried there wouldn't be enough room.  So, I asked Aidan to select two to bring them to you.  Guess which ones he picked?  He didn't pick his smiley face.  Instead he picked Mickey Mouse/Minnie Mouse (each character on one side of the pumpkin) and the little ghosts.  We all know he likes Mickey and Minnie.  I think he also likes the word "BOO!", that's why he picked that one.  We will be bringing them to you tomorrow before we head out to Happy Hollow for our Halloween date with the Cheung's!

Miss you,
Mommy

Your brother is a Monk(ey)!

Hello Logan,

Did you enjoy the silly Hokey-Pokey dance that Mommy and Aidan did for you on Sunday? I know it was silly, but I want your brother to show you the new things he has learned in school. We're unable to stay for long because your brother was so tired. He actually told me he wanted to go home and sleep. He never wants to do that! Maybe it's the sun, or we had such a fun-filled weekend.

Last Saturday, we met up with Uncle Kyle, Auntie Leonor and Melanie at Kelley Park in San Jose. We had a nice time at the Japanese Garden, seeing ducks and fish, having a lovely picnic, running around and even playing soccer. Melanie and Aidan got along really well for the most part (until your brother threw the soccer ball in her face!!). I think the kids are feeling more comfortable around each other, and their parents. Daddy had to work, so he was unable to hang out with us.

I took your brother out for a haircut yesterday after school. I wanted to take him last Sunday, but since he was so tired, we didn't go. I picked a new haircut place in Palo Alto that's close to school. It's a super nice and kid-friendly place called Snip-its. It was a lot nicer than Kids Cuts and Kicks in San Bruno. But then, the price tag is higher as well. It was a good experience, though I think the hair was a little too short. He looks like a little monk!! But it's ok, his hair grows out fast. I think next time your brother can go to a regular haircut place, as he's not scared anymore.

Miss you,
Mommy

Potty training

Dear Logan,

What a beautiful day today. Did you like the flowers that we brought you? Mommy brought two bundles and seemed to be a little much. I think your brother is used to visiting you these days, and also feels a little more comfortable running around the area, while checking out other children's pinwheels.

After visiting you, we met up with Melanie, Auntie Leonor and Uncle Kyle at the Santa Clara County Fair. I told your brother that we'll be seeing a ferris wheel and going to a summer fair, just like how we read in his book called "Summer". We had a great time playing different games, eating yummy food, aka ice-cream, and seeing different animals. It was a warm day, but not too bad. You know what the best part is? Your brother is potty-trained!

We have basically given up the hardcore potty-training on him. We tried that a few weekends ago and it didn't work very well. But then last Thursday, teacher said he was doing well at school and was dry most of the time, so we should try sending him to school in underwear. So on Friday, we made sure he used the potty before heading to school, as it's a 45-min ride. And guess what, since that day up until now, we haven't had any wet underwear!! That's THREE whole days! Aside from nap time and night time, he's totally in his underwear. We made sure we told him how proud we are of him, and he's been given special treats from school (two temporary tattoos) and at home (juice and ice-cream). I wish this will continue. I still ask him many times a day whether he needs to go to the potty or not, but most of the time he's able and willing to tell us when he needs to go. I guess what everyone says is true. When he's ready, he's ready. Really can't force him. I think your brother is really ready now. I am so proud of him.

That also means he's not a baby anymore. He always says "I'm a big kid now". I guess he's right. I am going to miss having a baby in my arms. Luckily, he still likes to kiss and hold him. The day when he thinks that Mommy embarrasses him, is the day that I'll be heartbroken.


Love you,
Mommy

Final post in Macau.......at least for 2009

Dear Logan,

Tonight is our last night in Macau. In less than 12 hours, Mommy and big brother will be on the plane flying to Taipei, and then back to San Francisco. It's been a long, fun, memorable vacation for us. Mommy is really glad to make the decision to come back to Macau. It would be a perfect vacation if Daddy could have come with us. I bet Daddy can't wait to see us home!

It was a busy day today. Mommy had to buy some food to bring home, met up with relatives and family for a late lunch. Then we headed to Wynn Hotel, so that Auntie Mena could finally purchase that dream wallet from Gucci. Ouch, expensive! But it was subsidized by me and Ah Gung, because her birthday is coming up next week. Then we met up with Auntie Eliza and little Ethan for some fun at Hac Sa Playground. Your big brother got to ride the scooters again for half an hour, and run around the playground. He also got to ride little Ethan's Thomas the Train tricycle. Now that your brother is a little older (I think he's matured a little during this trip), Mommy could let him run around the playground by himself without following around. He knew where Mommy was, and would periodically check-in with me. I just needed to keep an eye on him from away. While doing so, Mommy was able to chat with Auntie Eliza, as Ethan played nearby.

After that, we headed to our long-expected, fancy buffet at Four Seasons Hotel. The food was good, but not super, duper exceptionally good. If you like cold seafood, esp. lobsters, then it was great. But I think the hot food selection was so-so. I think the best parts were the freshly- prepared pasta section and the dessert section. Your brother even asked for a second helping of pasta after he finished one. He was actually very hungry. He also had two slices of pizza (first and last pizzas in Macau). I think either he was super hungry, or the food was super tasty for him. He didn't even play his game or ipod during the meal, up until the very end when he's done eating. He was actually feeding himself! Wow! He really enjoyed the meal. And then the desserts. One of the best dessert sections I've been to. They have quite a variety of different desserts, and most of them were pretty delicious. And, I think their service was top-notch. I think this is the best service I've ever had at a buffet. Waiters and waitresses were attentive and polite, without being overbearing. No wonder everyone said their service was good.

Is the buffet worth $404? Well, that depends on how many lobsters you can eat, and how much you like seafood. It was a nice meal for all of us, and I am glad I was able to enjoy that with my beloved family.

After that, Uncle Carlos headed to work, Ah Gung, Ah Po and your big brother went home. Auntie Mena and Mommy went over to New Lisboa Casino to try our luck. Mommy was a conservative gambler and I was prepared to lose MOP$500, and that was my maximum. Luckily, Mommy was able to win a little, a grand total of MOP$200, while playing Big/Small and War. Enough for brunch tomorrow!

I think Mommy is almost done packing. Just need to charge all of my electronics tonight, in preparation for our long flight back home. Also need to pack some minor stuff tomorrow morning. Aside from that, I think we're all set. I am SURE I will forget to pack some stuff. Luckily, nothing is irreplaceable (most of the time).

Ok, honey. Mommy won't be able to write to you for the next day or two. I'll write and visit you when I get back home. For now, take care and watch over all of us. Make sure Mommy and your brother have a safe trip back home.


Love you,
Mommy

Where is the nose running to?

Aidan has been having a runny nose since last Friday. While his nose is 'running', mommy is running after him to blow his nose. At least he has learned another skill during this whole ordeal... he learned to blow his nose while mommy said "1-2-3...brrrrr"

I'm looking forward to Mel's annual bbq this Saturday. Life with family these days mean lesser time to see my friends. And usually during this annual bbq, I get to see most of my friends there. Aidan hasn't seen his uncles and aunties in a long time. This year, he's old enough to walk around and we can take him to the playground. Last year, he was just sitting in his stroller. *mental note* Needs to bring lots of sunscreen.

Also on Sunday, we'll be meeting up with friends in San Jose. It's sort of like a play date since my friend had her new baby girl (not-so-new as she's about 10 months old now). I wish I have more friends that have kids and live close by. Hopefully, both kids are going to be in their best behaviors. I heard Melanie is quite a challenge and a feisty little girl. She better not beat up my Aidan! Or worst, Aidan beats her up! haha...

Work has been so crazy, I am so looking forward to my next few weekends.