Archive for » 2014 «

Dec

The Backyard Struggle

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Our backyard

Yes, this is the sad state of our backyard…

The ground cover

Agreed. Our backyard could use a comb over.

Why is our yard in such a curious state?

We have this great big hill as our backyard. The top of the hill can look over our roof. We decided wisely that we needed a ground cover that is low maintenance. No one would enjoy mowing a lawn on such a slope.

We found the perfect ground cover known as the Red Apple (Aptenia cordifolia). In addition to being green year round, the red apple has these pretty little red flowers.

Pretty tiny red flowers

We quickly discovered a problem. These pretty flowers attracted bees in the summer. These bees put everyone on edge during our summer BBQs. We decided to take the red apple ground cover out.

We didn’t immediately take up rakes and shovels to get them out. Our laziness convinced us to just turn off the water and let the great California drought to take our plant out very slowly.

Our patience was paying off. Sort of.

The left side of our yard has rid itself of the plant completely, but the red apple on the right side of our yard has survived its ordeal. It is rapidly making a comeback, aided by the start of our raining season.

I stared at my backyard often and shook my head in puzzlement.

The mystery was solved on a Sunday morning.

A loud sounding of gardening work woke me up on Sunday morning. I was annoyed at whichever inconsiderate neighbor. I peeked out the window, and saw that we were that inconsiderate neighbor. It was our gardeners making all that raucous mowing the lawn and blowing the leaves. Our gardener rarely showed up on the weekends, they usually do their yard work unseen on a Monday or Tuesday morning.

I decided to go down and get some coffee.

I looked out the kitchen window, and saw the boss gardener standing steady on our hill and spraying generous amounts of some liquid all over the condemned ground cover in a very systematic manner.

I ran out into the yard, and asked, “What are you doing?”

My gardener turned, and replied, “Fertilizer!”, then announced with a big smile,”Your plant was dying. I saved it for you!”

Related previous posts: Our Apple Tree
Wildlife Reservation in our Backyard

Category: Humor, Parents One Comment

Dec

1st Diaversary

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1st Diaversary dessert and candle

What is this diaversary, you ask.

Well, it is the first anniversary of my baby’s diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes.

WHY would anyone want to celebrate a disease!! You ask.

Well, no one asked if we wanted this disease, but no one said that we had to be sad about it either!

December 4th, 2013 was a date that my family will never ever forget. The diagnosis was earth shattering, emotionally traumatic, and mixed with sky high anxiety. Life was never the same again, and it took us a long time to find our new norm. But we learned to be comfortable, and even happy again with our new norm.

When December 4th, 2014 loomed close, I knew it was to be an important date that we can’t just pretend to forget. I have told my children that if they get to chose between being sad or being happy, always choose happy! So, we celebrate.

We went out and splurged on a fancy dinner at our favorite Steak House. We didn’t stop here either.

The following Sunday, we invited the baby’s close friends over for a Christmas party in honor of her 1st Diaversary.

Sweets!

The healthier table

The kids played games, painted each other’s faces, rode skateboards out in front of the house, then they made sugar cookies, cut them into Christmas shapes, baked, and painted them with icing.

Home made Christmas cookies

As I watched these kids all giggling and smiling, I looked toward the future. I pictured my child away in some college campus, and on a perhaps cold December day, she would hold a hot drink in her special cup, and will look back on her memorable Dec 4th date, and find something to smile about.

Cup with engraved diaversary date

Category: Parents One Comment

Nov

Got Teens?

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When the kids were little, my first born had always served as a shining role model for my younger child.

Not anymore!!

My first born is now a sassy teen, and totally insane.

A couple of nights ago, I was putting dishes away, and heard the teen polluting my baby’s young mind again with this advice…

Teen, “You want to be popular at school? I know how you can get everyone to like you at school.”

My 11-year-old stared back at the teen beast all wide eyed.

Teen, “You take a picture of your butt, and post it on Instagram.”

My 11-year-old frowned back at the former role model.

Undeterred, the teen continued, “Everybody will like you, because everybody loves butts! That is why the people love Kim Kardashian!!!!!”

Previous related posts: 8 Year Old Dirt
Teaching Green
Kids Meets Real World

Category: Humor, Kids Leave a Comment

Nov

Any Tourist’s Favorite Destination

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There is an unpleasant place called “Mùdì (Mùdì=墓地=burial plot)” in Chinese, best pronounced as “Moo” by the likes of my 80 year-old father, and best heard as “Mall” by the likes of his 75 year-old Chinese friend visiting from New Zealand.

Auntie Tan had been a special visitor. She is not only the widower of my father’s best friend from China, she was also our neighbor when we lived in China over 30 years ago. Her second son was my classmate, and her daughter was my sister’s best friend in grade school. We go a long, long way back.

Auntie Tan lives in New Zealand with her daughter, and was here on a solo trip to fulfill her long cherished dream of seeing America.

Last Friday, I took a day off of work, and took Auntie Tan and my father to Monterey Bay for a day trip.

We had sat down in a fancy sea-view restaurant for lunch when my father left us briefly for the men’s room.

Our Sea-View restaurant.

I asked Auntie Tan if my dad took her anywhere interesting during her week long stay in Los Angeles.

“Ah! Only TOO interesting.” Auntie Tan, and proceeded to tell me about a most fascinating misadventure with my father.

A true story told by Auntie Tan – The conversation was all in Chinese, with the exception of a few English words, such as “Mall”.

I was telling your father how after living in New Zealand for 12 years, I really consider New Zealand home now, and have decided to be buried in New Zealand after I die.

A few minutes later…

Your father said to me, “We have Moo here. My Moo is the world’s 5th largest!!”

I told your father, “I didn’t know you have the world’s 5th largest Mall here. My daughter didn’t tell me.”

Your dad said, “Your daughter wouldn’t know that!”

And then, he asked, “Do you want to go see it?!”

“Yes! I want to go see the big Mall.”

So, we got in the car to go see the Mall.

Along the way, I said, “Why is it that on the way to such big Mall, there are hardly any cars or people among us?”

Your father explained, “Today is not any holiday, you will see very few people there.”

I thought to myself, even in New Zealand, we always have people at the Mall.

Then an open lawn with beautiful huge garden came into view directly ahead.

I grew even more puzzled. “Shouldn’t there be tall buildings at the Mall.”

Your dad said, “Why would Moo have buildings?!! We don’t bury our dead people in the buildings, we bury them under the earth.”

Your dad gave me a tour of his American cemetery.

Ha, ha, ha, only someone like my father would think it fit to give his old friend a tour of his future eternal home.

Previous related posts: For Sure…I guarantee it!
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A Blast to the Past

Category: Family Travel Blogs, Humor, Parents Leave a Comment

Oct

Sweet for Your Money

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Medical science has yet to find the cause for Type 1 diabetes, but I know exactly why my baby has type 1 diabetes.

This child is super duper, ultra SWEET! That’s why!

My baby with the Candyland hair.

Two Saturdays ago, on Oct 18th, my family joined thousands of others in Great America to participate in JDRF’s walk for a cure event.

Great America is the biggest amusement park located in the heart of Silicon Valley Bay Area.

The event took place before the park was open to the public, which meant we had to get up unnaturally early for a Saturday.

When we arrived at the event entrance just before 8AM, a loud an upbeat pop music could be heard over the large parking lot.

Upon entering the path to the event, two lines of cheerleaders from 4 local high schools shook the yawns out of my head with their pom-poms waving in the air.

As soon as we got ourselves a cup of coffee, and breakfast from under the food tents, the kids went off running to play with the numerous activities set up to keep them happy.

A round of games before the walk

Just before the walk kickoff set to start at 9AM, a few event speakers took the mic and gave us a prep talk. Then our proud T1D DJ took over the stage again, and with the help of more cheerleaders, they initiated a dance warm up routine to keep the crowd excited and cheering.

The warm up dance

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday morning, the air was brisk and cool. The walk through the park was fun and cheerful.

Volunteers line the walking path with noise makers and cow bells ringing, they shouted out encouragements, and the team names.

A very nice walk

The walkers ourselves were all in a happy and cheerful mood. Many walkers were dressed up in fun outfits, and we had the cutest T1D fairies and super heroes among us.

T1D fairies

Okay, I am a bit embarrassed to mention that our walk was only 1.5 miles long…

Arriving at the finish line

So, it didn’t talk long to arrive at the finish line, where we were greeted with more pom-pom waving cheerleaders, congratulating us as if we had just finished a marathon.

We ended up in the food tent again, and this time, they had set up lunch there waiting for us.

Yes, they managed to feed us a breakfast and a lunch sandwiching a 1.5 mile walk. When the park officially opened at 10AM, we got to spend a fun day at the amusement park.

We are SO doing this walk again next year…

Last but not least, we exceeded our fundraising goal. A big heartfelt thank you to all our donors. Thank you!

Team Natasha

Previous related posts: Walking Can Cure…
A Bad Ass Sickening News

Category: Kids, Parents One Comment

Oct

Down the Mountain

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The baby came home today, and plopped these papers in front of my laptop, with arms crossed in front of her chest, and looked mighty triumphed.

Ah…she got an “A+” on the all important first writing assignment of the school year.

It is indeed an excellent personal narrative essay written by an 11 year-old. I thought that I will share it with my readers on my blog. This was based on an actual event when the baby had just learned to ski many years ago. She was probably just 4 or 5 years old. Enjoy…

Down the Mountain

I tapped my skies together, wondering when the long ride on the ski lift would end. When it finally did, I jumped off to face…a flat field of snow. I groaned.

I let myself get dragged across the white plains, my rosy-red cheeks getting squished by my too-small helmet. It made me look like a baby, but I was not. I was a big kid, and I was going to ski down the mountain.

“Are you ready?” Mom asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah.” I had just learned how to ski, and after days of treating me like a dog on a leash, they were finally going to let me go down without a harness. I looked down the steep hillside. I can do this.

I sat down and made sure my skies were tight. I couldn’t mess up this big moment for something like that.

“Hurry up and go already!” grumbled Athena, her frizzy brown hair hidden under her helmet. “I’m freezing.” I rolled my eyes as my annoying sister turned her attention to my mom. “I want food. Can we go get hot chocolate?”

“Just let Natasha go down first,” said Mom.

“Fine,” she grumbled, “but you have to get me a frog dog and a waffle for lunch.”

I stood up, finally ready to go.

“Go, Natasha!” said my dad.

“You can do it!” Mom said.

“I want food!” said Thee.

So off I went, starting down the mountain. Once I was going fast, I couldn’t believe I’d been nervous earlier. This was so fun! I straightened my skies and started going faster.

“Pizza skies! Remember to turn!” I heard my dad yelling, but I shook my head, knowing those things would slow me down. I closed my eyes, just feeling the wind in my face, blowing back my hair. I was picking up speed, approaching the bottom of the mountain. I savored my last moment on the mountain before reaching the bottom. I could already see myself getting off the mountain, turning expertly, my family clapping and cheering…

But wait! Something was wrong. My skies caught in a wedge of snow. “Ahh!” I shrieked. My arms flailed wildly, and I fell on my face. All I could see was white, white everywhere. The cold engulfed me, and I shivered.

“Are you okay?” Mom asked, worried.

“What happened?” asked Dad.

“OMG, Ta!” Thee said. Huh. I guess she cares after all. Then she started laughing like crazy. “That was hilarious, dude!” Never mind.

But then I remembered the wind in my face as I skied down. I remembered that last, perfect moment before I fell…I poked my head up, a big, toothy grin on my face. “That was fun! Can we do it again?” They stared at me for a moment, and then we all started laughing. I rolled onto my back, giggling like crazy. Athena glared at me.

“Whatever,” she said. “Can we go get food now?”

Laughing to hard to say anything, I just nodded and started ski-walking off. I had to admit, a nice, hot chocolate and warm waffle around a campfire was sounding pretty good right now!

Category: Kids Leave a Comment

Oct

Good News, Bad News

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“Mom! Something really good happened today.” said my teen, as soon as she got into my car during school pick up.

“What happened?!” me, feeling her excitement.

“We got to skip the mile run during PE this morning!” teen.

“Oh.” me, the news was a bit of a let down.

“Well, we were all ready to go in our PE class. But our teacher wasn’t there. A substitute showed up, and told us that our PE teacher’s car broke down. The sub let us do whatever we wanted. We all hugged and cheered.” teen, big big smile.

I eyed my 14 year-old, and began to worry over the souls of today’s teens.

Category: Kids Leave a Comment

Sep

Walking Can Cure…

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I discovered that there is a fine line that separates healthiness and illness.

We crossed that line on Dec 4th, 2013, when my baby was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. We went from a small medicine cabinet with some vitamins and a couple of bottles of likely expired cold syrup to a home filled with vials of insulin, syringes, insulin pens, glucose meters, test strips, glucagon, and glucose tabs, while continuously learning and adding more medical products and devices to our medical arsenal to manage the rascal named T1D.

A great deal of anger and depression came with the initial diagnose. Our anger known no target, as no one yet know the cause for the disease. We were just mad that such a lot has been dealt to our baby, subject the poor child to a daily routine of finger pricks and insulin injections. T1D not only traumatized our child physically, but shattered our entire family’s emotional well being.

I directed the bulk of my anger at a backpack. A backpack we filled with T1D medical supplies and a T1D log book where every meal with its associated carbohydrates, and insulin dosages must be written down. The backpack was a monstrous eye sore, a constant reminder of the disease. I resented it, and resented to be forced to carry it with us everywhere we went.

T1D Backpack

There is also just a fine thought that separates despair and hopefulness.

One day, I was reading an article about how Dr. Frederick Banting and a team of scientists discovered insulin in 1922. It had occurred to me then that prior to 1922, a T1D diagnose was a sure death sentence.

I eyed our T1D backpack, all of sudden, realized that all the supplies in our backpack are the medicine advances that are keeping my child alive–enabling her to go to school, to participate in sports, and to do all the things that she likes to do.

I felt grateful towards our backpack.

There have been many medical advancement in T1D treatment and technology since 1922. We have been very fortunate to be able to take advantage of some of them in just the past months.

In March of this year, we got an insulin pump, which is a device that my child attaches to her body to deliver insulin. We still count carbohydrates on all the food she eats, and she still have to finger prick several days a day, but the pump took away all the daily injections by syringe, and made our lives easier.

In April, we got a Dexcom CGM (continuous glucose monitor), it is another device that my child attaches to her body, and it monitors her blood sugar 24 X 7, helping us to better manager her blood glucose level, to avoid going low or high, and improves her overall long term health.

My baby with insulin pump and CGM sensor

Looking back, that initial dark period seemed like a distant past. I am no longer bitter and angry. I count my blessings instead.

I am grateful to have the best medical technology available, grateful to call an amazing group of medical professionals as our diabetes team, grateful to be a part of a most dedicated and compassionate T1D community, and I am grateful for an organization called JDRF.

JDRF is a worldwide non-profit organization dedicated to funding type 1 diabetes research. Since its inception in 1970, it has funded more than $1.7 billion in diabetes research, dramatically advancing the T1D technology frontier and greatly improving the lives of those living with the disease.

It currently supports several clinical studies worldwide, including the much anticipated Artificial Pancreas Systems and Beta Cell Encapsulation Therapies, these are the two leading “almost cure” treatments already in human clinical trials.

JDRF’s largest fund-raising event is its annual JDRF Walk to Cure event. Our local version of this event will take place this year in Silicon Valley on Oct 18th. It will be my family’s first time participating in this walk to cure event.

As we count our daily blessings, a cure is in our daily prayers. I hope you will join our cause.

Below is the link to our fund raising page, donations in any amount will be appreciated:

Our JDRF Walk to Cure fund-raising page

Previous related post: A Bad Ass Sickening News

Category: Parents 2 Comments

Sep

More Sugar for My Tea Please

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“Kids! What would you like for dinner tonight?” I yelled towards upstairs to the kids. This simple question landed me in a whole bunch of trouble last Saturday night.

I had the pleasure of watching my two young nieces last Saturday. So, just after 6PM, I offered the kids a dinner of their choice.

A few minutes later, the 4 kids came running down the stairs, and yelled almost in unison: “We want a tea party!!!”

Silly me. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of Sushi, Pizza, Burger…

“Tea Party for dinner?!” me.

“Yeah! Take us to Lisa’s Tea Treasure.” said the ring leader, my 14-year-old, “You know, that fancy tea house you took us to before.”

“Don’t be crazy! You can’t just show up at Lisa’s Tea Treasures. That place requires a reservation weeks in advance!” me.

“Well, you said it is our choice for dinner tonight, and we want a tea party.” the unyielding 14-year-old.

“Yeah, we want tea party.” The littler kids joining in and jumping up and down.

I walked into the kitchen, and studied the contents in my pantry and refrigerator.

“Fine. I will give you a tea party.” me, total pushover.

“Yea!” the kids all run upstairs together.

I busied myself like a mad woman in the kitchen, and even went to the backyard and collected the best looking roses for the party.

45 minutes later, I yelled upstairs again, “Ladies, your tea party is ready.”

Wow! Apparently, the kids were busy upstairs as well. They raided the closets and changed into fancy dresses that were purchased for special occasions. They had lipsticks on, and adorned themselves in sparkling jewelries.

Wow……

Tea party treats

They were equally impressed by the Tea Party spread I had prepared for them.

Tea party

I served them non-caffeinated tea in my best espresso set. I made them Nutella and Grilled Cheese finger sandwiches, mini corn dogs, a beautiful tray of biscuits, chocolate wafers, various cookies, and a bowl of fresh fruit. Of course, with a beautiful fresh rose as their center piece, and a few rose pedals scattered over the table.

The fancy ladies sat down, marveled at their fabulous tea party dinner, and started eating.

Let the party begin!

First, my 14-year-old trained the littler girls to properly hold the tea cup with the pinkies sticking up and slightly curved.

Then they spent the entire dinner speaking in very bad, and terribly exaggerated British accent.

But the fun didn’t stop there for me. They insisted on referring to me as the tea maid, and were constantly requesting more tea, more sugar, ketchup for their corn dogs, or to clean up their spillage.

By 8PM, I was tired and hungry myself. Thank goodness, their butler arrived home with dinner for us servants.

After the kids were finally done, hubby and I devoured our Panda Express takeout dinners.

Previous related post: Money Well Spent?

A Grade School Graduation Party

Category: Kids, Parents One Comment

Sep

Home Made Sangria

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I hosted a small family BBQ over Labor Day weekend, and decided to treat my guests to something a little different.

I decided to make an Asian themed Sangria…because I love Sangrias!

As it turned out, Sangria is incredibly easy to make. I can’t believe I was paying $8 to $12 a pop for them at restaurants.

All you need is a ¼ cup of Triple Sec, a bottle of wine, some cut up fresh fruit, and sugar syrup.

Triple Sec and Muscat Wine

I have had enough Sangrias to know that not all Sangrias are made equal, I’ve had some great Sangrias and some awful ones too.

I knew that I need to get the main ingredient right, and I attribute that to the wine. I like a light and refreshing Sangria, and though I usually prefer red wine, I have decided on a white wine, but not just any white wine, I choose a bottle of Muscat wine. The Muscat is typically a dessert wine, light, refreshing, and mildly sweet.

Preparation:

1) Make sugar syrup: boil a ½ cup of water, then add and mix ¼ cup of sugar. Set it aside and let it cool. Many Sangria recipes call for 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar. That’s WAY too sweet for me.
2) Cut up some fresh fruit. I used white peach, Lychees, Muscat grapes, watermelon, and raspberries. (Feel free to use your own favorite fruits).

Fresh fruit for my sangria

3) Put all the fruit together. Add ¼ cup of Triple Sec, the sugar syrup, and the bottle of wine. Stir well.

Fruit + Syrup + Triple Sec

4) Serve with crushed ice.

I was on my second glass before any guests even arrived. Why not!

I'll have the first glass.

Category: Parents 2 Comments

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