Wednesday, December 30, 2009

"Julie & Julia" Movie

The other day, Patrick and I finally managed to watch "Julie & Julia" movie. Oh, what a nice movie that was! Even Patrick enjoyed it, I guess because of all the good cooking. I also liked how the scenes from the past and today were flowing into each other.

Now I am inspired to cook well again! Maybe I should get the Julia Child cook book but not sure if I am really a French cook. I will look through my other cook books to find some good recipes.

Bon Appetit!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Our Christmas morning to remember

Too bad Christmas is over. I love this time of the year and especially the Christmas morning when we open the presents and spend most of the day assembling Lego toys, playing with and trying on whatever Santa has left for us. This year was even more special since Matilda is now old enough to open her own presents.

Santa was very generous with us, again. Thank you and we can't wait for next year! ;)




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Rainy day in Monterey

Our annual trip to the beach during the Christmas holiday was cut short today because of the wind and rain that came down on us. But the visit to the Aquarium made it all worth driving one hour in the car with two impatient children.

We love to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium and check on the penguins, the otters and sharks. And play with the water, watch out on the ocean and just hang out. Lovely day.







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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas celebration!

From our family to yours, bestest wishes!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Huge Surprise!

I have to share with you the biggest surprise I have ever gotten for my birthday. I will turn 40 in 3 days and wasn't really sure if I should celebrate this round birthday this year. Agonizing and thinking back and forth I invited friends for a celebration to later cancel it after all.

So last night Patrick said let's go out. We packed up Matilda (Lukas was with his cousin for the afternoon) and we went to King Crab, a Chinese restaurant here in Milpitas.

After we found parking while crossing the street I said to Patrick that I feel guilty to go to the restaurant without Lukas because he usually likes their food so much. But since he was with Kyle and was supposed to have pizza, I thought it's all good.

When we walked to the restaurant, I was still oblivious. After we walked in, I saw Britta, my friend, sitting in the back of the restaurant. My first thought was "hm, what a coincidence that she is here tonight too!". And then I saw them all! The whole family and my friends Britta and Evelyn were gathered at two tables to celebrate my 40th birthday with me! What a surprise! Tears came to my eyes and I felt so overwhelmed but so happy.

Then we had delicious dinner. I will never forget that evening, the surprise and my heartbeat.

Thank you all for loving me. I love you all back!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Advents-Calendar

It has been always a tradition at my house to receive an Advents-Calendar on December 1. The little chocolates inside the calendar have made each day of waiting for Christmas sweeter.

Of course I couldn't resist to give Lukas and Matilda their own calendar this year. Now we added opening one door from the calendar to the morning's routine.



Lukas is even opening his calendar every other day so that he has two chocolates at once.



So do you have a calendar like that?! :)

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Cold

The last few days have been unusual cold here in the Bay Area. Or maybe we just forgot - after months of warmth and sun - that December is still a winter month. So to avoid getting sick and being cold, we wear lots of warm clothes and live with it.

Here is Matilda all bundled up while going shopping with me.

Monday, December 7, 2009

The Christmas Tree is up!

Finally, on Saturday we got our Christmas tree! I couldn't wait to get one and decorate it, and smell it, and enjoy it. This is the most beautiful tree we have ever had. Not only it is perfect size, but it's also well grown, even and thick.

So late Saturday afternoon the kids and us started to go through the Christmas boxes, took out all the ornaments and hang them on the tree. Lukas was a great decorater, he hang most of the decorations on the bottom of the tree.

The damage was minimal. Only two glass balls broke due to unsensitive care by Lukas and Matilda but that's ok.

Here is our pride and joy for this holiday season:


Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Going to school in PJ's

Only in America you have a PJ day in school. After the kids finished their work, they sat on their blankets, had popcorn and watched a movie. This was a price for all the reading coupons the kids turned in.

Lukas going to school in his PJ's.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Mommy's helper

You can count on Lukas. Messing up the living room, leaving his Lego's all over the house and... helping me feeding Matilda. Whenever he does that, Matilda will finish all the food in the bowl. She is a good eater anyway but with Lukas' help, she will finish it all. Good brother he is.


Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thankful

Every day I am thankful for having a family, a home, living in a safe country, having freedom and peace. Today is no different but since it is Thanksgiving, I am taking this opportunity to thank all of you for being my friend and wishing you a wonderful day.

From my family to yours:


Sunday, November 22, 2009

Orange Thunder - 2nd place in U6 division

We are #2 in the U6 division of the Milpitas Youth Soccer, yay!! Our team, Orange Thunder, won a game this morning and qualified for the final. This afternoon we lost 0:1 but that still made us #2.

The team celebration will be at ChuckECheese's in Fremont.

Here is Lukas with his trophy.



Coaches Michael and Stephen and the team celebrating!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

New addition to our kitchen

After years of waiting and searching and searching and waiting, I finally found the perfect buffet for my kitchen! And it came just from across the street, from our neighbor, who is moving out and had a garage sale few weeks ago.

Patrick helped sanding it down and staining it so that it goes color wise well with my kitchen table that I love. We worked two days on it but it was worth every hour.

The buffet is made out of real wood and was not painted or stained before. This is how it looked before we started working on it.



I had not one helper, but two! Lukas in action.



And here is the final result. Doesn't it look awesome and perfect for our kitchen?!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Good read

Recently I have discovered Lisa See's books at our local library. It was pure coincidence that I grabbed her book from the bookshelf that was close to the check out station. It's hard to browse through the aisles and shelves with 2 kids in tow so I am lucky when I catch something for myself while leaving the library.

The first book I read from Lisa See was "Shanghai Girls". I am intrigued by the Chinese and Asian culture for many years. Maybe it is because I love and am married to a Chinese-American man or maybe it is because I love the Asian art, fragile and beautiful, delicate and minimalistic, full of well handcrafted items, with its attention to detail even in smallest items.

I will not give away the plot but I highly recommend this book if you look for a well written and fascinating story that describes the lives of women in the beginning of this century in a country that seems to live in the century before ours.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Lego-ist

Lukas loves to play with Lego. Through the years he got lots of Lego sets from the Spongebob, Star Wars and City collection. He eagerly puts the Lego together after we take it ouf of the box but few days later, after playing with the toys in a boyish way and having a sister that likes to touch the toys too, pieces start to fall apart and the brand new truck has now only wheels left or Spongebob's rocket ship wasn't as sturdy as Lukas thought after letting it fly through the air.

But this is a good thing that the toys eventually fall in many pieces because then the real fun starts. Lukas is a master in building cities, space shuttles, airplanes and helicopters, all made from his fantasy and without following any directions. His imagination is endless when it comes to explain what he has built. To me it might look like few little guys standing around, but to him is a construction site with many different elements that he patiently points out to me.

My favorite thing to do is sorting the Lego but it's not really very beneficial. After few days, everything lands back in few boxes.

Here is us and Lukas awesome space station with stormtroopers storming the base. Or something like that.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Brother & Sister

Our kids. Our pride and joy. Our king and our princess. Our sensitive but head strong children.
They are hard to get together in one photograph but I got lucky this week.





Thursday, November 12, 2009

2002 Merlot

After years of abstinence, we finally drank some wine, at home, on the sofa, just the two of us. Few days ago I felt that the time has come that Patrick and I start to enjoy the quiet evenings even more.

My all time favorite wine is from the winery Chateau Julien in Carmel Valley. When I was working with the Plaza Hotel in Monterey, we ordered this wine for all our functions and it became my favorite since then. That's like 7 years ago. I was able to keep few bottles because of the pregnancies but now the time has come.

So last night, we enjoyed this smooth, fruity, sweet-but-not-sweet wine to the last drip. Can't wait for tonight to finish the bottle.


Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Yummy

It's only 9 am in the morning but I already think about the dessert that is still in our fridge. Waiting for me to be eaten. To be enjoyed.

Those chewy balls filled with a sesame paste and rolled in peanuts are so delicious, I can't even explain. Whenever we go the Mayflower restaurant in Milpitas to eat dimsum, I already wait for the dessert before all other dishes arrive. That's how good they are.


Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Mary Jane's

What would I do without this wonderful store where you can find any item you want at a resonable price? It's called... Target! I bet all of you know that place and love it - like me.

Anyway, how about those cute Mary Jane's that I found for Matilda? I wear those soft socky thingis for years already and now Matilda has a pair too.

She is still no keen on the idea to wear them in the house but I know that she soon will appreciate them.


Monday, November 9, 2009

Another milestone

Time flies fast. I can feel it watching Lukas and Matilda grow up. Just as of yesterday our car is one car seat lighter and we welcomed the booster seat for Lukas that he has wanted for some time now.

He loves to strap himself in and unstrap and enjoys the freedom around his body. I only hope that the booster seat is safe.

Matilda has already tried out the booster seat but she has few more years to go.


Sunday, November 1, 2009

Trick or treating - fun night!

Trick or treating last night was fun! Matilda discovered very quickly how to get the candy and she was not scared to walk up to people and show her bucket.



Kyle and Lukas.



Lukas trying out the lightsaber on sister.



Nice pose Darth Vader.



Baby Claire - ladybug, Lukas - Darth Vader, Matilda - Bumblebee, Kyle - Scream, Diane - vampire, Baby Lawrence - lion (from left to right).

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween

Have a fun Halloween, everyone! Lukas is going as Darth Vader (thus the carved pumpkin) and I hope I can get Matilda into the bumblebee costume. Photos to follow.


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Go Yankees!

Not only I am teaching my daughter how to brush her teeth correctly, I am also teaching her which baseball team is the best team ever! So here is us showing off our matching hats (and the brushing teeth skill).

Go Yankees!!

Random cuteness

I think the photos don't require much comments. She is just a sugar sweet little girl.

Matilda right after she woke up.



Matilda learned how to pose now.



At Lukas' school, she loves to sit in the mini chairs. Only for that reason, I will send her to preschool next January. :)

Practice practice practice

The summer is over but that doesn't mean that we have to sit inside and watch Spongebob all day long. Just for the record, nothing against Spongebob, but that giggle of his can be exhausting.

So last Saturday Patrick and Lukas went to the driving range to finally practice with the driver that we got Lukas a long time ago.




It looks like he is ready for it now and he had lots of fun using it.



I still wonder how Tiger Woods could do it all when he was 2 1/2 years old. Mind blowing.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Pumpkin Patch at Lemos Farm

Yesterday we decided to visit the Lemos Farm Pumpkin Patch in Half Moon Bay before the month of October is over and the pumpkins will disappear again. We met Cel and Evan and Jenae there and had a lovely morning riding the choo-choo-train, looking at pumpkins and having a picnic and pizza.

Here the three of us, having fun on the wooden horse.



Lukas would make a handsome cowboy, I think.



Spiders, spiders everywhere!



Matilda pretty in orange.



The goats were quite interesting to watch from far away.



Matilda, thinking about this and that.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Hawaii Report Part 2

Here are few more photos of us having fun.

With daddy.




At Dole Plantation, being silly after the train ride.



Of course they had to touch the water...

Hawaii Report Part 1

Here are few photos from our trip.

Right after our arrival on Oahu, Matilda is playing in sand.



Lukas and Matilda playing in the suitcase.



Lukas wanted to try out to be covered all in sand.



Kayaking with daddy.



What else to do then playing in sand.