Happy 2nd Birthday, Tyler!!

Gifts from PopPop and Nana. There was tons of excitement over these...for both boys!

Birthday dinner. Mac 'n' cheese and garden burger.

Birthday cupcake...YUM.

Had enough. Too excited about his new toys!

Chug that milk!

And, finally, at age two years old, Tyler is so super sweet. He loves to play, and loves to snuggle. He has a mini blankie we call "NuNu," that he adores. When it's time for him to nap or go to bed, we ask him to find his NuNu, and he'll go hunting around for it, and once it's found, he'll stick his thumb in his mouth and be ready to sleep.

Tyler's stats are 26 pounds (25-50%), and 35 inches tall (75%). The boy can run. He's trying to skip, but it's just pretty goofy, and I always hold my breath when he does it, hoping he won't trip, but he just goes on. When you give him something he doesn't want to eat, he covers his eyes with both hands. Actually, today was the first time he covered his mouth, not eyes, when I tried giving him another bite of birthday cupcake.

I can go on and on...Happy Birthday, TyTy, Tylie, Tyler! We love you so much!

Bronchitis

David and Vincent went to the nearby ER this morning. It wasn't an emergency, but it's what was open on a Sunday morning. They both have bronchitis. Although it sucks that they have it, it's kind of nice knowing that it's something. It's always a little frustrating when you go to the doctor with a cough or other cold symptoms, and they're like, yup, it's a cold; just ride it out. At least with this, they know why they've been suffering so much, and now they're medicated. Is that just a weird perspective? Already, Vincent is in better spirits and seems to have a little more energy.

We bid farewell to my family this afternoon, too. We weren't able to see my Aunt, who happened to be back from Taiwan this same week, in the afternoon, but my parents both got home just as we were packing up the rest of our stuff.

The flight home wasn't too bad. It was hardest during the last 30 minutes, when we had to be seated for the decent but Tyler was antsy. He started bouncing on my stomach, which didn't help my need to pee. When we arrived at SeaTac, we had to take about 50 elevators up and down the airport to finally make it to the shuttle bus area. Sheesh.

Aside from the cold and rain, it's good to be in home. Tyler was so excited when we walked into the house, he let out a screech of excitement. He rushed upstairs and was so happy to play with all his toys. Vincent wanted milk and was ready to go to bed right away.

The Beach and The Party

Vincent woke without a fever this morning. Yay! So, we ventured off to Santa Monica to meet with Gabe and Sarah. The took us to this Jamaican restaurant called ChaCha Chicken. It's funny. Gabe said that they had been driving past this place for like 10 years going to and from the airport, and finally, after their recent move to L.A., they decided to try it out. When I lived in L.A., I drove past that place a bunch, too, and wondered what it was. Well, now we've tried it, and it's yummy! I had their coconut fried chicken. Crispy goodness.

Unfortunately, though it was sunny today, it was cold and windy. After lunch, Vincent was wiped out and ready to go home. By the time we returned, he had a fever again. Both boys napped, but afterwards, Vincent was still feeling pretty awful.

Tyler's birthday party was this evening. Vincent opted to stay in the bedroom and rest. He watched part of a movie and played games on David's iPad. Tyler was doing well, and super excited to see everyone. Uncles Jack and Peter (brothers) and Aunt Diana and Uncle Ken all showed up at the same time, and with balloons for him. He couldn't have been happier. This boy loves balloons.  We had tons of food. Food my mom made, bbq my sister brought, hot pot, knafe, homemade Asian pastries, and birthday cake. Vincent rallied for the cake. He played for a short while, but soon felt bad again and went to bed. Tyler stayed up late playing with everyone.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Ty Ty!! (2 days early)

Sick

It's sad to say, but everytime we come to L.A. one of our kids ends up getting sick. Now, Tyler and I have a little bit of a cough, but we're doing much better than David and Vincent.

We had to cancel our plans to drive to Topanga Canyon to meet up with old Seattle friends, Gabe and Sarah, today. We were hoping to stay the night with them, but thought it would be best to just see them tomorrow.

So, instead, we took the boys to the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, hoping that it'll be quiet because it's a weekday. Unfortunately, there were many field trips happening, and it was kind of crazy. We last only an hour. But, our Pacific Science Center membership allowed us into this place for free, so it was worth it.

Afterwards, we went to get lunch at this plaza across the street. We couldn't believe how hard it was to find parking, and all the other cars circling around like us. When we did find our spot, it was unclear if we would get it or if this oncoming car was trying for it, too. I told David to just be aggressive and go for it. Lunch spot: Corner Bakery Cafe. It's sort of a cross between Panera and Specialty's, and super busy.

This afternoon, everyone took long naps. Much needed.

For dinner, we treated the family to a Korean tofu restaurant down the street. It's been there a really long time, and my mom and sister eat there often, but it was my first time. So yummy. Tofu soup, who knew it could be so tasty!

L.A. - Day 5

David's been sick while in SF this week. Vincent has had a fever today. But, he woke up in a really good mood and full of energy. It's so deceiving when your kid is like this. Feeling like he's be up for it, my mom and I got the boys out of the house for a while this morning. Somehow, Vincent went from super energetic to mellow, to tired and cranky.

Our first stop was at Schabarum Park. The boys had fun going down the big curvy, tunnel slide.

Vincent started to mellow out a little as we were getting ready to leave the park. He was pretty calm through lunch at Newport Seafood. And, since we were in that plaza for lunch, I had to get a boba milk tea from Little Bean.

At this point, we could have just gone home, and the boys would have probably been tired enough to nap, but we did tell Vincent earlier that we'd go to the mall and ride the coin operated cars. He looked a bit tired, but insisted we go. He rode two vehicles. Tyler was too scared.

After the rides, Vincent really wanted to do this trampoline, bungee jumping thing, but both were being used. It would take 10 minutes for them to be done, so we went on these mechanical animals instead.

After these, is when tired and cranky kicked in for Vincent. He was angry with me because I wouldn't let him do the jumping thing. It was getting late and he needed to rest, and I just didn't think jumping up and down on the giant trampoline would be good for his illness. Because he was upset with me, he decided to do something in the car that I asked him not to do. It wasn't a big deal, but he purposely did it. When we got home, he became sad. Then, even sadder knowing I was going to go out with my sister for the afternoon. Apparently, he was so upset after his nap that he didn't want to eat dinner with my mom and Tyler, and he stayed in bed until I got home at 8pm. It was an emotional moment when I got home.

BUT, let me tell you where I went! Glendale Galleria. No wait, The Americana at Brand. Hello, Gentrification. Well, okay, it's not actually the exact description of that word, as I don't think Glendale was a deteriorating town before this place was built. But, you know what I mean. Anyway, I love Seattle's small local shops and all, but WOW, this place is fabulous. It's so pretty, and at night, when the lights are all lit, it's even better. There's a trolly that goes through, and a covered playground with sand. And, of course, all your typical mall shops. And, I now have new make-up.

Shopping & Burgers

We did a lot of shopping today. In the middle of it, we also got gas, and I ran into an old college friend! Then, Vincent announced, "Mommy, I am weally hungray. I want to each right this minute!" So, we went to In 'N' Out. Vincent requested In 'N' Out the moment we touched down at the airport on Saturday, and he was really excited when I told him that's where we're going for lunch. But, he didn't devour his food like I had expected. Nor did he make any comments about how yummy it is. Weird. I loved my food and I devoured it.

After I got the kids down for a nap, I went back out to go shopping and meet my friend, Angela, for dinner.

Having a little time away from my kids was nice, but I got to thinking: I'm a strict mom. I mean, I'm not Tiger Mom, but I'm definitely a far cry from a free spirit, too. I hope my kids turn out okay someday.

L.A. - Day 4

When Vincent woke this morning, the clock said 6:45am. Shoot, that's early. But, just like I asked him, Vincent got up and went straight out of the room and into the living room to play on his own. I could hear that my parents were up, too, and that they were glad to see him. By the time I woke, an hour later, he had been given two different types of cookies. He seemed eager to tell me, but assured me that he only "had two, which is only a little bit of treats." When I offered to make eggs for breakfast, he said, "I don't like the kind of eggs A-Gong makes." I said I'm making plain fried eggs, which he was happy for. He ended up eating two of them, but just one yolk. My dad did cook up a veggie medly of cauliflower, snow peas, carrots and cabbage. Yes, for breakfast. Tyler kept saying, "Bockly, bockly...," which means broccoli, which means cauliflower. I was surprised to see him eat it, too.

After breakfast, the boys and I headed to the La Habra Children's Museum. And, as I suspected, they accepted our Pacific Science Center membership, so our cost to get in was FREE. I love that word. My highlight was seeing Vincent dress up as a racecar driver and a cowboy.

The boys enjoyed the fact that the museum was in an old train station. We ate a snack on the back of a caboose.

Tyler got to drive the bus for the first time; something Vincent always does (and did again).

After playing inside, we got in some Vitamin D in the playground behind the museum. I didn't even realize it was there the other times we've gone. It was wonderful to play in the sunshine. Vincent, of course, made a friend. 

This afternoon, we drove out to Burbank to spend time with my sister and her husband. We tried out this Armenian (we think) bakery. They had these wonderful savory pastries that none of us have ever had. Tyler loved it, too. Vincent tried them all, but wasn't into it. Diana made us her delicious chicken soup.

L.A. - Day 3

Okay, WhyTF would Vincent wake up before 7am this morning, after going to bed at 10pm, after a fun-filled day at Disneyland, last night? Everyone else was still sleeping. Luckily, he didn't wake Tyler. Unfortunately, David had to get up with him after our failed attempt of telling him to "just go back to sleep."

But, today was low key, aside from the living room floor being covered in Duplo blocks and me flipping out trying to get the boys to help clean up. David and the boys stayed home, playing in the backyard, while I headed out to meet a couple of college friends. We ate, leisurely, without our children. That's like a luxury. Then, we each bought pieces of cheap jewelry at Forever 21.

David left for San Francisco this afternoon during the kids' naps. When they woke, they ate a snack, played with playdough, and then watched an old Disney movie. I forgot that I have these VHS Disney movies stashed in a box in my old room, only remembering them when I realized that my parents still have a VCR. Awesome! Vincent chose "Beauty And The Beast." I don't think he had ever heard of it before. Normally, I wouldn't call it an "old" movie, but as the tape started, there were previews for stuff coming soon in 1992. Wow. Anyway, they watched half of it while I made dinner.

After dinner, I gave the boys a bath. It wasn't a fun experience. Tyler kept wanting to get out and "poop," but them wouldn't once he was on the toilet. Once, I was halfway with soaping him all up. After he was done getting washed, I had my mom get him dressed. He did NOT like that at all. He screamed bloody murder at her. She brought him back into the bathroom, hoping that seeing me will calm him down, but it didn't. Sigh. Vincent's comment to all this commotion: "Tyler was not being very nice when you asked him to stand up so you can wash him. But, you asked me to stand up and I did it."

By the way, Vincent's been kind of awesome with his Mandarin. He has been speaking some here and there to my parents, all on his own. It's a bit shocking, considering how little of it he'll speak to me at home. David feels really proud. It's sort of blowing my parents away, too. And, my dad was really surprised that Tyler can understand so much Mandarin, too. Ahh, the fruits of my labor.

I let Vincent finish "Beauty and the Beast" while I put Tyler to bed. As I was getting Vincent ready for bed, I told him that if he wakes up before me or Tyler tomorrow, he can quietly go to the living room and play on his own. Was that totally whacked of me? We'll see...

Disneyland

It's 10:40pm, we are beat. We pushed the boys to the max today at Disneyland. And, they did pretty well overall. We left the house at 8:45am, arriving at the park at 9:30am. The kids were loaded back into the car and we started driving back to my parents' house at 9:15pm. Tyler was asleep by the time we got on the freeway, but Vincent stayed up through the ride home. Both boys took short naps at some point during the day; Tyler while in line for our lunch and then transfered to the stroller, and Vincent while in the stroller, for a few minutes before we returned our rental stroller to go home. David felt proud of wearing him out so much.

All-in-all, it was a good experience. We were a bit on the cold side, even though there was some sunshine. Aside from "It's a Small World" and "Autopia," we went on different rides than last year, including "Pirates of the Carribean." Both boys went on it and there were no tears from either of them!

Tomorrow: rest.

Made It

We're in Lalala El-ay! And, no, it's not sunny. We have rain. But that won't stop us from going to Disney with the boys tomorrow. Oh no, rain doesn't scare us. Well, it scares me a little.

The flight down went surprisingly well. We didn't get Ty his own seat. Hey, it's the last time he can fly for free, and we'll take it! We expected it to be hell, but he was quite manageable. Vincent was great; especially with David's iPad.

The challenge came after we landed. National rental car company did not have the 2 carseats we reserved. It took them an hour to locate them for us. The manager was ready to go to Target to buy one (they found one about 30 minutes in). It worked out in the end, and we even got our seats comped. And, the kids weren't too crazy...they were a little for sure.

At home, Ma had hot pot ready for us to get our cookin' on, and my sister & bro-in-law pulled up right before us. Vincent ate a big meal, while Tyler impressed everyone with his consumption of soup.

I Spy...

...with my little eye, a small member of the Hunt family, mixed in among some toddler chaos.

The scene at Montlake Alehouse tonight was such that even our little makers of chaos were a bit intimidated. They played, but we actually had to suggest it to them. If fact, after just a few minutes in there, Vincent came back to the table and started to draw. Yeah. He turned his color sheet over and drew a spaceship and a "launcher," and then asked me to help him draw other stuff. We drew an octopus, a crab, and a frog. He drew the octopus by himself, with me telling him the steps. For the crab and the frog, I held his hand and we drew them together. Then, he signed his work of art.

Yo La Tengo

Totally terrible picture, but...

...this is Yo La Tengo, with their Wheel of Sets that they brought out on stage tonight for their show. There were 8 different sets that the pin could land on, which would be the set they play for the first part of their show. Someone from the audience, whom looked a bit like one of the seven dwarfs (only taller), spun the wheel and it landed on "names."

Yes, David and I left the kiddos at home and went out to the Showbox to watch the Corin Tucker Band and Yo La Tengo play live. We met our friends, Jon & Andrea, there. It was my first time seeing them play, and I was so pleased that they started their second set with my favorite of their songs, "On Our Way." I wouldn't have known it, but these guys can kind of rock out.

After we parted ways from our friends, each couple went out to a different place for post-show pizza (closest to home). Our stop, Big Marios.

Eltana

I have been thinking about the bagels at Eltana for a couple of weeks now, since a group of moms and I took our kids there after a class. today, we returned. Even Tyler was super excited for his.

Federal Way

The boys and I spent the afternoon in Federal Way today with our friends, Stanley and Halina, parents to one of my bestfriends. It was sweet to see how excited they were to go visit them. A couple days ago, when I told the boys about the visit, Vincent asked me, "Do you think I can do a puzzle with Stanley?" Stanley usually has a large puzzle on a table with many tiny pieces that he works on when we go over. I asked Vincent if he'd like to take one of his puzzles, with much larger & fewer pieces to work on with him. He loved the idea.

After lunch, that's just what they did. I was so proud of how well behaved Vincent was doing the puzzle. They came up with a system where Vincent would find the pieces and Stanley would place them on the board. It was a very sweet sight. Lucy, you would have loved it. Sorry, I didn't get a picture.

I did snap a couple pics of the boys playing at the mall. Halina treated them to some little rides (Tyler didn't want to go on them) and a lollipop each. They ran around in circles in the play area and Vincent made a friend. In fact, he said to me, "I'm going to go make a new friend," then set out on his task and succeeded. What a go-getter!

Tyler loved pretending to be the driver of this big foamy train.

And, finally, the running around...

Happy Valentine's Day

I had forgotten that it was Valentine's Day this morning and that I surprises set up for the kids. Vincent woke first and came to our room to get us. A few minutes later, he went into the dining room and came back saying, "What's this for, Daddy?" holding up a mylar balloon. When we told him it's Valentine's Day he was so happy. He was able to get his surprises first before Tyler woke up.

Both boys received a Valentine's balloon, a plush puppy (red for V, because it's his favorite color), chocolates, and a new book.

Tonight, we're having Panacea's Wicked Good Chicken, and will likely just hang out a take it easy.

**UPDATE - we did not end up eating the chicken. Instead, I thought it would be a good idea to pick David up from work when we went to pick up our Panacea dinner, only to find that it was terribly stormy out and the traffic was horrendous. By the time we made it to his building, after making many u-turns to get out of lanes of traffic that did not move, it was too late to drive back home in the traffic to heat up the chicken. We ended up eating mediocre Vietnamese food at Uyajimaya and then going to Costco for diapers and gas. A Valentine's Day made in heaven.

Vincent with his new plush puppy, who he named, "Little Red." FYI, red and blue are his favorite colors.

Vincent with one of his best buds, Liam, at school. Holding hands, no less.

Let's Party!

Two birthday parties today! Yay! They were so much fun. Both boys did great, too. Vincent started out the day with some attitude, but thing got better once he started partying.

At the first party, he made friends with a slightly older boy and they ran around playing good guys and bad guys, hiding in this neat nook above Jonas' bed, coming out to beat a few bad guys, then hiding out again. When it came time for cake & ice cream, Vincent actually skipped his ice cream, which made Tyler very happy. At one point, he had 3 plates in front of him.

The next party was just an hour and a half later. Luckily, the boys fell asleep in the car on the way. And, it's a good thing because this party was at the Little Gym, and they got to run around, tumbling, jumping, running some more to their hearts' content.

Awesome Date

Vincent was invited to four birthday parties this weekend. Luckily, they were spread out equally between both days. But, David was out of town all week, it was his birthday while he was gone, and Monday is Valentine's Day, and the boys have classes until about noon on Saturdays. Given all the circumstances, we decided to do only one day of birthday parties and got a sitter so that we could go on an afternoon date.

It was an excellent date. A great way to celebrate. We did a sparkling wine tasting at Licorous. Then, almost two hours of karaoke at the Rock Box. We laughed so hard at ourselves and each other. Mind you, David and I DO NOT karaoke. Not for a crowd. This would be the first time either of us have picked up microphones for such a thing in like 5 years, and that last time was in the privacy of my mom's house with only one other person. Anyway, it was so much fun! Then, we got little pies from High 5 Pies. Savory Flipsides and one sweet one "to go" for the kids.

I highly recommend you do go to all of the places we did today. You won't be sorry.

David rockin' out to "Francis Black."

The Drinking Fountain & The Dress

Look who's tall enough to reach the top of a drinking fountain by himself now! 

Okay, barely, but it's a start. So much easier than having to pick him up.

And, there's a first time for everything, right?

Happy Birthday David, The Sun God's Have Answered My Prayer!

My gift to you, my dear husband, is a happy wife when you call me this evening to chat about our day (hopefully).

I'm happy because not only did I get to sit in a patch of sunshine today, I got to do it twice!

The first time was at the Seattle Center with Tyler. It was actually his idea. After we finished looking at butterflies in the Science Center,

we went outside to the Children's Theater and waited for Vincent to finish his class. Ty was playing on this statue,

and he came over to me with the lunchbox

and said, "Sit, Mommy." So, we sat and had a snack.

I had told the boys we could ride the monorail today, so when Tyler and I went to get Vincent, he excitedly told his teachers, "I'm going on the monorail now!" Tyler was so excited as well, and ran over and said, "Mon-ail," nodding his head.

It was an especially exciting ride today because we got to sit right up at the front, next to the driver where we could see the track in front of us...twice!

It was so beautiful out today, I almost took them to the top of the Space Needle, but our parking was expired. Instead we headed home.

When we got home, I gave Vincent the choice of either riding his bike around the neighborhood, while I push Tyler on the trike, or just play in the backyard. He chose the backyard. Sweet.

It was there that I got my second moment of sitting in the sunshine, drinking in its warmth and light. The boys played relatively calmly and we listened to music. The cats watched us longingly from the other side of the sliding doors.

**Be sure to look for the butterflies in the pictures with Tyler! Also, when we were there, we got to see a butterfly emerge from its crysalis. So neat.

Blasted Dog!

The sun's shining, I got the kids napping, my coffee is hot, and I've just set up the laptop on the picnic table outside on our back deck. Oh, and the baby monitor is set, too. I sit down, and what should happen?

The neighbor's big, LOUD dog spotted me. He came running up to the fence and started barking, and barking, and barking. I tried shushing him, but only ended up scrambling to get everything back inside so he'll stop barking.

Seems the Sun Gods are not on my side with these few days of much needed sunshine.

Thank you, Audrey, for running the kids around the backyard this afternoon. I put them to bed in a record time of 15 minutes, not missing a single step in their bedtime routine, or a single second of tonight's episode of Glee. And, they did not make a peep.

Melrose Market

If it wasn't for the weather, I think I would be hopelessly in love with Seattle. Don't get me wrong, I do love it here (mostly). Sheesh, I'd better, cuz we just bought a house! One thing I don't love is the weather (surprise, surprise).

Take today for example. There was sunshine. BUT, it was freezing ass cold, with a high of 46 degrees (F). And, it would sort of come and go. All I wanted was to find a patch of sun to sit in, but it didn't happen. I was happy to have the sun shine on my face while driving, though. Take what I can get, right?

One of the things I do love about Seattle is Melrose Market. After the gym this morning, I decided on a whim to take the boys there for lunch. We ate at Homegrown. It was pretty good. They boys shared a grilled cheese sandwich with apple slices and each ate a slice of beef from my salad. Tyler actually ate his portion, which he normally picks off the cheese & only takes a few bites of bread. Vincent finished his as well, but it wasn't a big sandwich. And, we lucked out that there were 3 low seats available. Otherwise, I would have been in a predicament - all the other seating was barstool height...not so safe with wiggley little boys. I guess I could have gotten my "patch of sun to sit in" if we ate outside. But the tables were small, with only two chairs to each, and I was already feeling a little in over my head. Lucky for me, there was a little girl about 3 years old that sat next to us, and she had toys to share with Vincent. Everyone that ate there seemed really hip, including the mom of the little girl. Thank God for Tyler's hip hat helping us blend in.

Here he is with the cheeses from The Calf & Kid

And, now with the meats at Rain Shadow Meats

And, since we're on the topic of food...I had a 3 hour break from the boys this afternoon. I dropped by at Trader Joe's to overspend some money, then I went for a little bite (or more) at Cafe Presse. Man, I still love that place. I had the onion soup and frites. So simple, so delicious, so filling. I couldn't finish my fries, which is kind of a crime, cuz they're that good. And, when I went to the restroom, they had a sign posted that they're starting a French conversation table on Wednesday afternoons from 3pm-5pm. Anyone can join in, French speaking or not. It's to practice. How neat is that?

Somedays, I feel like this is turning out to be more of a food/eating blog than a family blog, since I talk about food ALL. THE. TIME. Hence, the reason why I can't lose those last couple of baby pounds...