Noah Speaks Seuss

Imagine my delight when Noah opened a Dr. Seuss book and declared he would read to me last night. Imagine my surprise when he actually read big words I didn't realize he could conquer.

Oh boy, the joy when, oh that brain, they do employ! Wringle, wrangle, wrum, bang on a drum. A good book I do enjoy, when night has fallen and the toys are done.

In other words, I'm loving watching him fall in love with reading!

Y'all Want Some Rice With That?

Growing up a military brat, I was surrounded by diversity. Especially when we lived in Korea and there were many other hapas like me. It was easy to get through nearly my first half of life not giving any thought to whether my physical appearance made me stand out from my friends. Because it didn't. We were all different. I never looked in a mirror and caught myself thinking, "Why, hello, Asian girl! Why can I never tell if your eyes are open or closed? Want some rice?"

(Well, maybe the last part of that. I do love me some rice.)

Anyhoo, moving to Texas was an altogether different story. It started with going to high school in south Dallas. It became more obvious when I went to a university where the Asian population was about seven (the sushi chef, some math professors and me) and I started to notice something was way different.

Case in point, I offer you two photos taken on a boot scootin' night my fish year. Please glance quickly at them and then tell me who stands out like a sore Asian thumb wearing boots and an enormous belt buckle. With her pants hiked way up and needing an eyebrow plucking intervention.

I do wonder what those cowboys thought when they saw this crew of dancers and a lone math professor walking into Denim and Diamonds.

There's an episode of Golden Girls where one of the girls sits on a plane and starts speaking slowly and loudly to the Asian man sitting next to her. He spends the whole flight quietly accommodating her need to talk. It's not until much later in the episode that it's revealed that the guy actually has been able to understand her English the entire time and he, in fact, has a very heavy southern accent.

I can so relate! Most people don't assume I don't speak English (some only assume I am skilled at both chopsticks and nunchucks), but I wonder sometimes if it surprises them that I have a southern accent. And, this accent is not something I give much thought to until I'm out of the south. As in Colorado, for example, and it's only then that I realize I sound very well, southern. Beyond the "y'alls," there is a very distinct drawl I never hear until I'm north of the Mason Dixon. Suddenly I sound like I came with the last name Clampett and a Granny who thinks the South won the Civil War.

And, suddenly, I am aware of two things.

#1...I sound very Texan. #2...I feel very Asian. Funny how, when you mix the two, one makes the other stand out so much more.

Because you see a white girl with a southern accent and you think nothing of it. Or, you see an Asian girl with a Californian accent and no one pays much attention. BUT, you hear an Asian girl fixin to piddle with a do-hicky and you'd think I was three sheets to the wind. We're scarce as teeth on a hen, I tell y'all.

But it's not like I can go back on my raisin'. I am both Asian and Texan and I am proud.

And I am thankful. I give thanks because I can go to my parents house and eat both BBQ chicken and kimchi on the same day. One day, I opened up my parents' fridge to find some yummy kimchi soup. Mmm, there is just no way to put its deliciousness into words. I stood there in the cold fridge doorway and audibly offered thanks to God or my Dad (I don't remember which) for my Mom being Korean.

I do get the best of both worlds, y'all.

If You've Got It, Phlaunt It

I strolled around the Square the other day, something I rarely do. I had special ordered something for B's birthday, so I decided to kill some time while the welder was at work.

I could afford shopping on the Square if we could just stop feeding our kids just adore the Square. I love the atmosphere and the chance to browse in such a charming part of town. I can feel myself relaxing as I slowly stroll in and out of the stores there. I do enjoy a good window shop, even if I don't buy anything.

I stepped into one whimsical looking store and noticed this belt buckle...

Which, I guess if you're going to carry around some baby fat, you may as well own it and bling it up. Shake what 'cha baby gave ya!

And, I've decided to start addressing my baby fat as baby phat. I did go to high school in south Dallas, so I like to think my fat cells have a little hip hop in them. They are just in there, dancing around to some Will Smith. My mid-section is getting Jiggy With It.

I found out later that Baby Phat is actually an upscale urban clothing line. I thought this buckle was just a clever way to own your belly phat. I guess when your clothing line comes from Old Navy and Target, you kind of lose your hip hop fashion knowledge somewhere along the way.

Incidentally, we've been needing a new toilet paper holder. So, here is what the welder made for Brian.

We will, of course, be mounting that upside down as pictured. The Aggie Spirit is alive in our house. And in our bathroom.

So, holla. And, Gig'em.

Tyler & The Girl in the Purple Dress...& Samson & Delilah

We've noticed that Tyler has become more reserved since the big rejection at Sea World. He seems to not walk up to kids and start up friendships like he used to. I think something really stuck with him when that happened with those girls. He also recently told me that some girls are nice and some are mean.

Well, I think he's getting his groove back. He ain't afraid to get back on that horse, it seems. Brian picked him up from Sunday school this morning and asked if he had fun. To which he replied, "Yes." Brian asked what he did in class and he said, "I hugged the girl in the purple dress two times." When Brian asked why, he said, "Pee-cause she was nice."

Mmhmm...

After we got home, Tyler walked around with some binoculars held up to his eyes. When Brian asked what he was looking for, he replied, "the girl in the purple dress."

We're going to have to find this little girl in the purple dress and thank her for restoring Tyler's self confidence and faith in women. He hadn't been the same since he was wounded by those krool girls. This could be a great lesson in forgiveness and restoration. Sort of like Joseph's story in the Bible. I like a good teachable moment.

Then again, it's occured to me that we may also need to teach Tyler a different Bible story.

Samson was also a floppy haired boy who fell in love with a woman...whom he loved to hug...who turned out to be his downfall...

C is for Cookie

I think Brian is feeling a little sensitive about something.

And I don't blame him. He's got three cookie monsters living in this here house with him.

Cookies don't have a chance in our house. They have been known to disappear within a couple of days. Brian, being gone most of the day, misses out on his fair share.

And that makes him sensitive.

I baked a small batch after the kids were in bed. He told me he was going to put them up where the boys couldn't reach them.

I had no idea he meant 8 feet off the floor.

Frankly, I'm feeling a little sensitive myself. This goes beyond even my natural reach. I think he's trying to send a message as he seems to have gone through great lengths to make them inaccessible to even me.

I mean, you can't just reach the top of our cabinets unless you are Manute Bol or unless you have maneuvered your way onto the counter tops and then stood up to place the cookies above the cabinets.

I know this because I copied the maneuver later that night. Think he'll notice a missing cookie?

Summer 2009

Even though summer isn't officially over, it's officially over. School started for Brian at the end of August and the boys started preschool last week. And, while I love these precious little things, it's amazing how my blood pressure seems to rise with the level of noise in the house.

Some people take pride in maintaining a steady weight between doctors visits. My source of pride is maintaining healthy blood pressure. Seriously, I cannot wait until they strap on that cuff and become amazed. 110/70, baby.

So, yes, preschool helps me maintain my solid gold performance when it comes to those blood pressure cuffs. But, man, it was a good summer...

• We kicked it off with some Memorial Day fun at the Fort Worth Stockyards and Burger Lake. Yee haw and tattoos.


• My dad, the boys and I drove to Denver for my cousin's wedding. Kansas...wow, you are enormous.


• Brian went to Extreme Camp as a counselor with our youth group. Fun times. Hot times (Oklahoma June + broken A/C = sweat).


• The boys went to visit Brian's family and got to experience the thrill that is Wonderland Park. Oooh, how this family loves us some log riding fun.


• Brian went bald. By razor. By choice.


• The boys made it through their first full movie at the theater. The fact that I'm documenting this should tell you how enormously significant it is. Our boys = ANTS in their pants.


• My cousin, Abbey, came and stayed with us for a few days and went to VBS with us. Highlight of my summer - I was with her when she began her relationship with Jesus.


• We celebrated our nation's independence with some friends who cleverly brought along some light sticks to keep the kids entertained before the fireworks. What was not so clever was the gigantic Curves hot air balloon inflated right before the fireworks started. Nothing says, "Happy Independence Day, America" like a gigantic Curves balloon amidst the fireworks.


• Brian and I went to YoungLife camp in Colorado and signed on to work with the sophomore class. If you start to notice me adding letttttersss to my spelllllinnngggg, it's totally because I'm under the influence of teens.


• We celebrated the lives of some incredibly precious people, Connor Cruse and Yallo David. Connor would have been nine at the beginning of October. He valiantly battled cancer and made more lasting impact than most of us could hope to leave. Please pray for his family as they mark Connor's first birthday in heaven. And, Yallo...a warrior as well.


• And, as we remember God takes away, we also remember that He gives. We are getting ready to welcome another precious person to planet Earth. Caleb Olsen, our first nephew, will be here October 5th!

What else?

• The boys honed their swimming skills. Noah can swim across the width of our pool and do somersaults off the wall (Momma did NOT teach him that. Hint: a bald headed man did.) As for Tyler, he loves to take his time floating/drifting towards us with an occasional kick. He always comes up smiling. Such his personality. He also can hold his breath like a saltwater crocodile. Well, maybe not three hours like a crocodile, but, man, it's impressive. And it also comes in handy when you rely solely on drifting to get you places.


• There was also a considerable amount of slip n sliding. How fun to see them playing a toy we played with as children. Except we didn't have poufy inflated pillows at the end to stop us from launching face first right off the nice wet slide and into the rocks and burrs. Yeah, y'all know what I'm talking about. Children have it so easy these days.


• Tyler turned three and had his first official birthday party. He had a party where he could show off his breath holding skills in the pool as well as his slip and slide techniques on the park lawn.


• The boys got bunk beds for their birthdays. And we are still wondering why we thought it was a grand idea to put these two in the same room.


• We took a vacation to San Antonio with my parents. Sea World couldn't contain us. Or the salt water that Shamu sloshed around. And Tyler has never been the same since he had his heart broken.


• Brian got to see the Cowboys at training camp. The world could never be so right for him as during those 147 minutes.


• Noah celebrated his fifth birthday with some bowling. He had his first official birthday party and decided to take it to Strikz. What's more insane than taking six rambunctious boys to a darkened room with loud music and letting them hurl 7 lb. balls as if it were a timed event? And then feeding them cake? Nothing.


• Tyler learned how to write a "T." Just four more letters to learn before he can write his name. And only four more after that before he can write, "loves Mommy." Amazing how nine letters can make your day. And lower your blood pressure.


• We went to a high school football game where the boys sat through an entire game for the first time ever. (Brian thinks that means they're ready for a Rangers game on Saturday. I had to remind him THAT is a test of even my ability to sit still. Since we're not even in contention anymore, does that mean we still stay all nine innings?)


• Noah learned to ride a bike without training wheels. He did it completely on his own for the first time today. Pretty special.


• We got to see a space shuttle and the International Space Station in orbit. I think the boys were underwhelmed. They don't get the giddies over space, the final frontier, like Brian and I do.

So, here is my first attempt at a slideshow. Here's our summer 2009!

Ah, these are "the good ol' days" indeed.

To Boldy Go Where Only John Travolta Can Go

Tyler came across my sunglasses the other day.

Bless his heart, they moved him to spontaneously strike a disco pose.

And I suddenly had the urge to dig up a leisure suit for Brian, put some go go boots and a mini on and watch some Saturday Night Fever.