The LoLo Life

Changing Things Up

2011-07-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Hello, all! Just because I'm a crazy goob, I've decided to move LoLo Life over to Wordpress. I can't give you a really compelling reason for this switch, other than that I feel like I will have a little more control over the technical aspects of the blog...and I like a good challenge. I'm trying to simplify, and consolidate...and switch to a URL that better describes my blog.

If you would like to come along with me, please re-direct your attention to the new space:

www.LoLoLife.wordpress.com

LoLo Lodge: Master Bedroom (work in progress)

2011-07-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Would you like to see the master bedroom? In all its glory? All done up and pretty?

There it is. That is the extent of it. My dresser top. We found the rusty picture frames at Pottery Barn on clearance, and the starfish are from a shop in Seaside, Oregon. Some day I will even print out pictures to go in the frames. The woven basket is a souvenir from a trip to Hawaii when I was a little girl, and the brick was found in the yard of my Connecticut home, prior to moving to LoLo Lodge. It has “CONN” imprinted on the side, so I decided to keep it. You know, to remember our time in CONNecticut.

I have plans for the room, though. I’m feeling a kind of Beachy Chic for the master, and I want to start with a headboard that sets the tone.

Like this.

And I want to build it myself. (Plans here.) (Actually, I think there will be a Group Building Day. At least two of my girlfriends want to build their own headboards, and one of those girls is a WHIZ with power tools and makes her own furniture all the time. Folks, hold me to this – I NEED to make this happen.)

Oh, and a new bedspread. The current one is pretty, but the colors are too dark for my taste. All golden wheat and inky black. I’m kind of loving this palette, though…

(Bedspread found here)
Of course, now that I look at it…it’s still golden wheat, but now it’s grey! Much lighter than black! *facepalm*

Ugh. Sometimes I wish I understood my decision processes better! It’s not that I don’t like the golden wheat color, but I need something brighter…more like dandelion, you know? And, of course, I want to make it myself…so I’ll be trolling the local fabric store for inspiration. (Oh, who am I kidding. I only quilt with thrifted bed linens. It’s a nod to the quilts my great-grandmother made, out of clothes that could no longer be worn, and it saves tons of money. So, I’ll be keeping my eyes out for fun prints and colors at the local thrift shops!)

Anyhow, there ya go. The LoLo Lodge master suite. In all its un-finished (and indecisive and planned for!) glory. Because making plans is easy. Way too easy.

Cousin Camp

2011-07-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

For the first time in Ming Wai’s shy little life, I sent her away, with strangers, on a regular basis. She attended Kids Camp, put on by a friend’s offspring, with her cousin Ernie. For five days, they spent two hours a day building bows and arrows, jumping on trampolines, searching for treasure and keeping out of the way of the rougher, older kids. They LOVED it. She came home exhausted, and happy, every day. She and Ernie are already looking forward to Kids Camp 2012!

To try to minimize the disruption to the younger siblings, my sister and I created Cousin Camp. Each morning, around 10, Myrnie would roll up in her Mama Mobile and the kids would tumble out. After playing for about half an hour, we’d feed all the kids lunch and then put the two year olds down for naps. Myrnie would settle down for lunch with her littlest while I loaded the two big girls into the car and drove them to their camp. Two hours later, I drove back to pick them up. The kids played for an hour or so, and then Myrnie took her brood home to feed them and put them to bed. And in the morning, we’d do it all over again.

Hello, Summer, you gorgeous thing. I’m so happy you are here.

PS – And a very happy Independence Day to you, my fellow Yankees. May your day be filled with all things relaxing and happy.

LoLo Castle: A New Front Garden

2011-06-29T11:51:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, we spent some time tearing out our DREADFUL lawn, and replacing it with something…not dreadful.

I can’t even tell you how relieved our neighbors were. Heh. It started months ago when my neighbor casually asked me if we had fired our gardener? Because the yard was not looking as spiffy as it had before?

Why yes. Yes, we had.

Then we got the great idea to replace the lawn with…something else. Anything else besides dead grass and moss. So I cut a 12” strip out along the driveway, and planted half a dozen “steppable” ground covers.

As it turns out, the 12” strip next to my driveway is REALLY really wet. And the plants didn’t do well. And there was still dead grass and moss.

So we went to Costco, and bought Plants. Hydrangea, carnations, azalea, more ground cover. I plopped those pots down on the grass, to see how the set up would look. We went to Lowe’s and bought more plants (knock out roses, little daisies). I put stuff in the greenhouse, and waited for it to be ready to plant (lavender).

And I left them there. For at least a month. (That’s how I make decisions, you see – try it on, see how it feels…and wait. A long time. Until it feels natural. Then I get someone else to do the hard work. Heh.)

We arranged a work party, and some fabulous dudes (hi Dad! hi, J!) showed up and WORKED. The sod was ripped out, holes were dug, plants were planted, bark was spread and pavers were placed.

And, finally, our front garden was done. Ming Wai calls it Stepping Stone Path, and she and her cousins run around and around the loop of paths, much more than they ever ran on the grass. I love it because it attracts bees, and I feel like I’m doing my part to help them.

Oh, and our house finally has a name. Welcome, y’all, to LoLo Lodge.

Honey Do

2011-06-27T07:56:00.001-07:00

It’s Monday! You may not believe me, but Monday is my favorite day of the week. It feels like a fresh start, and it is the day that I try to get through all of the To Do’s that I added to my list over the weekend, while we were playing. On the list today – spray the lemon tree for flies, clean the shower floor, transplant a money plant that has been growing in a bowl of water for the past seven years, clean the toilets and hopefully get to the beach with the cousins! Looking at that list, I know it is ambitious, but I hope I can get at least part of it done.

Have a great Monday, y’all. What are you up to today??

Rewards

2011-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, in life, you just need a reward…am I right?

A few weeks ago, when Lo Gung and I took a child-free vacation, my in-laws stayed here with the kids. My children adore all of their grandparents, but whether it’s nerves or sheer pig-headedness, they have problems sleeping when I am away. And so it goes. Ming Wai wouldn’t sleep alone, and wouldn’t let MaMa (grandma) sleep in the bed with her. (She thought my 108 pound mother in law would break the bed. Heh.)

They slept in the playroom. Together. On a old spare full-size mattress that we keep in there for the kids to jump on. I’m assuming it wasn’t very restful for my mother in law, but Ming Wai did eventually get to sleep!

After my in-laws left, Ming Wai continued to sleep in the playroom. Honestly, I didn’t mind. She never wandered out to find me after I’d tucked her in, and she didn’t keep her brother up…sounds like a win-win situation! Finally, though, she told me that she would move back into her room IF I hung up the “princess tent” that I’d made for her months prior. It took me that long just to figure out the best way to hang it, and to gather the supplies. (The tent is two sheer curtains tucked into a huge embroidery hoop and hung up with thick craft thread and 3M command hooks on the ceiling.) I hung it up…and she moved back in that night.

Now, Siu Jeun…his room was crowded. He was still sleeping in his crib, but his Big Boy Bed was also in there, at the ready, if ever he decided to give up the ~~cage~~ crib. Finally, I told him that IF he would let me take down the crib and put it away THEN I would build him a train table for his bedroom. Luckily for me, a dear friend heard my plan and offered her un-played-with train table as a substitute for my DIY approach. Yes, please! I drove straight over to pick up the table, and we had it set up in Siu Jeun’s room that night. Both kids love it, and their father enjoys setting up intricate trackways for them (although he probably wouldn’t admit it!).

What rewards have you given, or received lately? Anything fun?

PS – Have a great weekend, y’all!! We will spend the weekend celebrating, and reflecting. Six years ago, today, I became an aunt. And six years ago, tomorrow, I became engaged. It has been an absolutely fabulous six years, and I hope for many, many more!

Cupcakes I Have Made (and eaten)

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned, yet, that I am on a cupcake kick? I actively seek out excuses to make, and consequently eat, cupcakes. YUM.

Over Memorial Day weekend, my father showed up and gave us a few hours of his time…doing manual labor. We had him cutting, ripping, and removing sod. When he polished that job off, he grabbed a shovel and “just for the fun of it” dug holes for all of our new shrubs. The next day, my brother in law showed up to help finish the barking in the yard, and our new front yard was done! (I’ll have to show you guys. It’s AWESOME. Or at least, it’s way better than it was before…)

Anyhow, the next day was Sunday, and I was in charge of dessert for our family get together. I asked my father what he wanted, and (with a twinkle in his eye, and a nod at his filthy dirty jeans) he said “mud pie.”

(Chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting rosettes)

I couldn’t pull off mud pie..but I could do dirt cakes.

When I showed up with these babies, I gave my little brother a peek. “What do they look like?” Trying not to offend me, he said, “Umm..chocolate cupcakes?” “You mean, they don’t look like they’re covered in dirt clods?” “Well….YEAH. But I didn’t think that was the answer you were looking for!”

Silly brother. Dirt clods are ALWAYS the answer.

Oh, and check out this cupcake carrier. My father saw it at Costco and just knew that the teal one had my name allllll over it. I can carry 36 cupcakes, no problem. Or slap in some handy dandy liners and carry pies. Or brownies. Or use just one tier, and a liner, and carry a huge cake. The possibilities are endless. And now my life is complete.

Ming Wai has been eyeing my new hobby, and decided that she, too, would like to decorate cupcakes in her spare time. I gave her a bag full of icing, and a plate to practice on. Mostly, she just decorated herself, but I really don’t think she minded that much. I saw her trying to eat her wrists and sucking on the cuffs of her shirt. Heh. Atta girl.

Oh, and these guys? Well, a friend asked me to bake these for her dessert that night. Her brother in law was freshly home from a tour overseas, and she thought a dozen cupcakes would make a nice end to their Welcome Home meal with him that night. I didn’t want the cupcakes to be too girly for our soldier, so I eschewed my favorite little rosettes (see above) and just went with a little dollop of icing. That looked plain, though, so I added a jelly bean to each one…which, of course, made them into little flowers. *facepalm*

Oh well, at least they were tasty!

The kids have been schooled…

2011-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Did you know that I teach piano lessons? Obviously, from the pictures above, I don’t teach very many piano lessons. (And from the last picture, I am apparently INSANE when I talk about it. *ahem* Moving on.)

I just have four students, two sets of siblings, and they are adorable. They have all started with me in the past year, and several of them had never played piano before that. It’s been amazing to watch them progress, and to see their confidence blossom.

I use this piano method, and I got my dress here, but it doesn’t seem to be available anymore. Oh, and when I say “I got my dress”, I really mean that I won it during a giveaway on this fun blog. I also just found out today that very talented piano teachers in Utah charge exactly half of what I charge, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. I haven’t changed my piano rates in ten years, so I thought I was on the low end of the spectrum for my area. Would anyone care to share what a 30 minute piano lesson will cost you in your neck of the woods?

Ecola Seafood Restaurant and Market

2011-06-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of my food log from a recent trip to the Oregon Coast. Come along and see what we ate!

First off, I just have to get this off my chest – that is a REALLY unfortunate name for an eating establishment that specializes in animals-for-eating. Ecola. Yes, really.

There. I feel better.

After getting multiple recommendations from a query on Serious Eats, we decided we had to head to Ecola Seafood for one of our meals while we were on the Oregon Coast.

It was cute. It was more friendly than I expected. (I accidentally ordered the wrong thing, and they quickly switched it in the kitchen and charged me the $2 difference. It probably would have been different had they been busier.) Oh, and it’s in Canon Beach, so of course it’s in a pretty part of town.

The food didn’t blow us away. I mean, it was GOOD, but it was a bit on the expensive side. Taking more than two people to lunch would have been painful. I had crab cakes and Lo Gung had a crab melt, with a side of clam chowder. Oh, and see that shrimp up there? It was piled on my side salad, nearly 8 oz. of shrimp! It’s Bay Shrimp, and we saw it in nearly every restaurant we went to that week! It’s a little sweet, a tiny bit fishy, and very smooth and tender.

You know what was amazing, though? That I didn’t get a picture of? Their pickled herring. Honestly – AWESOME. I would go back for that.

Kinda Makes You Stop and Wonder…

2011-06-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have a niece. We call her Ernie. She is the most extraordinary thing. She’s a head taller than most girls her age, with huge beautiful blue eyes. She taught herself to read six months after she taught herself to talk, and had memorized Grandma’s map puzzle of the United States of America by age 3.

Like I said. Extraordinary.

As she’s grown older, we’ve begun noticing other extraordinary things about her. Like her ability to form squads of minions. (Megamind is a new favorite around here, so if you wouldn’t mind reading that last bit in character? MinYOHNS, please. Thankyouverymuch.) Last summer, my sister and I took all the kids to the park to let them run off some energy. Ernie disappeared for a few minutes, but we found her inside of a small hut on the playground. She had devised a game where she sat inside the hut, and every available toddler on the playground gathered pinecones and brought them to her. She had quite a crew of tiny tots out foraging. It reminded me of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice – I could almost hear the tune in my head. Doon doon doo doo doo doon doon!

The funny thing is, none of the kids mind being her minion. It’s not like they’re getting anything out of it, either. She’s just really convincing.

(Ming Wai, practicing her own despot skills)

Today, she and her siblings came over to play with my crew. I looked outside as I saw her march past my back window, and I had to laugh. As she marched along, the three younger kids (4, 2 and 2) were crawling behind her, single file, and grinning like it was the best fun they’d had all day.

My sister often wonders where the line between Leadership and Dictator lies.

I just wonder if she’ll teach me how to get the young kids to obey orders!

How to do a Silhouette Shot

2011-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

1. The subject needs to be in front of a light source, the camera set to underexpose, and the subject must be instructed to jump and make interesting shapes.

2. Everything in number one….but the subject must be ABLE to make interesting shapes. And work out with the photographer if they are going to snap one “one” or AFTER “one.”

You’re welcome.

PhotoOp: Seaside, Oregon

2011-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

When in Gearhart, Oregon…

2011-06-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Stay here. Preferably in the off-season, to get the best rates. (We got off-season rates, half off again, through a LivingSocial deal. Love them!)(PS – if you use that link to sign up, you will receive $5 towards your first purchase. Just FYI.)

(Gearhart Cottage. We were in the left half. It has two bedrooms, one bath, and a kitchen. There is also a BBQ and a firepit in the backyard, plus kindling and firewood in the shed. We spent a blissful two nights here. This is the only brick building in town, right on Cottage Ave. It’s hard to miss in a one-stop-light town.)

Oh, and eat breakfast here. Just do it. She comes in at early-o’clock several days a week and bakes up to a dozen different varieties of scones, muffins and pastries. When they are gone, they are gone, so try to come first time! (Both mornings, I rolled out of bed, shoved on a hat, a pair of jeans and some flip flops, and shuffled down the block to get our breakfast. It was OH so worth it.)

(Berry Tart and Marionberry Scone from Pacific Way Bakery and Café)

As soon as you’ve unloaded your car when you arrive, head back up the street and ask to borrow one of the bikes at the affiliated inn up the street from your cottage. They have at least 6, in various sizes, locked in a small garage. They are there for guests to use.

Bike down cottage avenue and turn left, any left, until you hit the beach. You’ll drive up and down a few grassy knolls, and wonder WHEN you will hear the ocean, or get a peek. Suddenly, you crest the last knoll and the ocean is all you can hear…or see.

(Lo Gung went ahead while I snapped this picture.)

Breathe deep. You’ve made it.

Bike down the beach. If you’re lucky, you’ll start to hear clucking and calling…and you will come upon the largest flock of pelicans you have ever seen.

Pose your beach cruiser for a few artistic shots

Grin like a crazy person and pinch yourself. You aren’t dreaming.

“We come to the beach to breathe.” (taken from a sign in a gift shop)

Hobby Turned Crazy Maker

2011-06-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever stop to examine your life and realize, Hey, self! When did you become a crazy person?

Well, for me, that moment usually comes when I start going through pictures stored on my iPhone. That silly gadget makes it ENTIRELY too easy to quickly memorialize the more trivial aspects of my day. (Then again, that’s what blogs do, too…so….whatever. Moving on.)

I might have mentioned it here before once or twice, but I bake. A lot. I started when I was just a wee little thing, and have always loved it. My parents supported my hobby, and still do. A few weeks ago, this beauty showed up on my doorstep, with the understanding that, in return, a few fresh loaves of bread would show up on their doorstep each week.

Seems like a MORE than fair trade to me!

(The WonderMill quickly grinds up to 8 cups of whole wheat into flour. Can I just tell you how much I love this thing? I grind at least four cups a week, and feel SO much healthier when we are eating fresh, homemade whole wheat bread…with home-ground flour!)

Recently, my passion has been bread and cupcakes. Never one to leave well enough alone, I experimented with my few tried-and-true recipes, adding in flavors, or new mixing techniques, to see what would come out the other side. (And when it turns out really good, I add it to my Baking List and sell it to my friends. Because mama wants a gardener to come and trim her bushes, and he isn’t going to pay himself!)

Sometimes the results are beautiful and tasty.

(French bread, Honey Whole Wheat, Sun-Dried Tomato and Mozzarella, and Chocolate cupcakes with the cutest little flat tops I’ve ever seen.)

Today, I am not here to talk about those accomplishments, lovely and tasty though they may be.

I am here to laugh…about how I got to that point. So, gather ‘round, young ones, and learn from my mistakes.

Lesson one: When I bake free-form loaves, I slash the tops. I’m not sure why, but it seems to make a more uniform rise (unless the slash goes too deep, and then my loaf just breaks in half when I take it out of the oven. Oops.) Feeling fancy one night, I decided to bake a round loaf of french bread and slash it horizontally – one, two, three – and then vertically – one, two three.

I have no idea what I thought would happen…but it certainly wasn’t this!

Look familiar? Think back…way back.

(via)

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

I’ve discovered the Bread Bumble Ball.

Lesson number two: When combining flavors, sometimes it is better in theory than it is in practice.

That gorgeous loaf is marinated artichoke hearts and cheddar cheese, in french bread. Doesn’t it sound amazing? Like mind-blowing good?

Yeah. It wasn’t. Oddly enough, it was REALLY bland. I learned here that grated cheese, in a loaf of bread, does very little good. The cheese should be in 1/2” cubes if you really want the flavor to stand out. Maybe I’ll try this one again…but probably not. It was that *meh*.

Finally, children, understand what mix-ins will do to your bread. Try to get inside the mind of your loaf, and figure out what is going to happen. Find your inner Alton Brown!

For example, did you know that sugar is hydroscopic? That means it sucks water out of whatever is around it. (Which is why sugar on top of sliced strawberries will result in mushy strawberries and cups of juice after a while. The fancy name there is macerate. You’re welcome.)

So, if you take a really moist bread dough, and then roll it up with sugar and cinnamon…you’re going to have to adjust your baking time.

(Honey White Cinnamon Chip)

I’m just sayin’.

Review and Giveaway!

2011-05-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you! Do head over to LoLoCraft for a $10 discount code before 6/13/2011)

Are you a scrapbooker? Do you want to be? Do you want to get your software for FREE??!

Then head over to LoLo Craft and enter to win the My Memories digital scrapbooking software!

And you, too, can create masterpieces like this…

Click here to go to the Giveaway!

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

My brain is everywhere…and nowhere. As I write this, it’s just after 10 pm on Sunday night. We spent a few hours on Saturday, with my fabulous father, getting some yard re-doing out of the way. He He-Manned all of our lawn out for us, and then we planted a bunch of shrubs. And it wasn’t until tonight that I realized I had a flower garden in my front yard now. *squee*

We had church today, and Siu Jeun spent about 2/3 of the Sacrament Meeting out in the hall, on his Dad’s lap. Lo Gung said he was doing sit-ups the entire time…and was completely silent. Now, why can’t he do that in the chapel, eh?

We had dinner with the whole family tonight – a burrito bar. It was delicious, and if you don’t already have your meals planned out for this week, I highly recommend it. And completely customizable! Mine was filled to overflowing with rice, beans, pork shoulder, guac, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, tomatoes, radishes and two kinds of cheese. Lo Gung’s was a more sedate rice-beans-cheese-meat affair, with some veg. Ming Wai? Well, she wanted a tortilla filled with lettuce…and salad dressing, if you don’t mind. That’s my girl – the only person I know who can spend twenty minutes actively eating, and not actually consume any calories.

Now, I am exhausted, but wanted to wish you all…a good Memorial Day. I made the mistake of calling my Mother in Law up on the Chinese version of Memorial Day and wishing her a Happy one. It was the grave decorating day for your ancestors, so she didn’t think my merry wishes were particularly appropriate. Heh. Oops.

So, my friends…perhaps we should just remember to spare a thought for those that have gone before, to give us the freedoms we have now.

And when you fire up the BBQ with your friends today, maybe just throw on an extra dog, in their memory. I’m sure they’d appreciate it.

The picture has nothing to do with anything, other than it’s one of the oldest pictures on my hard drive, dating back to November. Siu Jeun is pretty flexible, for a boy. By which I mean to say that the men on my side of the family are not the type of men who generally fold in half. They are more the type that cannot be moved – the strong type that rip up lawns in an hour and a half, and then dig half a dozen holes for your plants for fun. That type.

When Traveling to the Oregon Coast…

2011-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Be sure and stop in Anacostia! We stopped at Baked Alaska, and really enjoyed the view! It’s just over the Washington/Oregon border, at the top of Highway 101.

(Aunt LoLo, the view from our table, and Lo Gung, looking handsome)

I had the Sea broiled sea scallops with fennel and black pepper linguini. I’ll admit, I like my scallops cooked, and caramelized on the outside…and these weren’t. They were rather limp, but the rest of the dish was tasty, and the pasta was house made. Hubs had the salmon sandwich, and it was really good! The flavors were right on, and very satisfying.

Dessert was the Half Baked Alaska, which is a large chocolate chip cookie, in an iron skillet, with a scoop of ice cream. What we DIDN’T realize was that it would could in a 1/4” of brandy. For these tee-totalers, that was kind of a buzz kill.

(It is a documented fact that I can NOT take a decent picture when looking into the sun. It’s never happened before, and it will never happen after. They all look like these. It is also interesting to note that I am a tad skinnier in these pictures, taken at the head end of my vacation, than I am now…several days home from said vacation. heh We ate well!)

All in all, I’m glad we went. The view was fantastic, there were seals and cormorants playing right outside our window, and we were flying high on our child-less state and the prospect of four child-less days ahead of us. If we go again, we’d stick to the sandwiches.

It’s Been a Fantastic Two Weeks

2011-05-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

(MaMa, YehYeh, Ming Wai and Siu Jeun)

I’ll admit it- I’m spoiled. Not only do I live a short walk from my parents, and a short drive from my twin sister (and her fabulous kidlets), but my in-laws also make it out to visit us as often as possible. Today, they are flying home after spending two weeks here with us. The kids have been completely coddled, spoiled and pampered.

In other words, it’s been fabulous.

MaMa and YehYeh, hurry back!

The Day Ming Wai Met a Princess

2011-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

*My friends, I must point out that THIS is LoLo Life's 1,001st post. One thousand and one. That is a lot of...well, a lot of things to say. We started off with real names and Bubba's Bubbles. We moved on to fake names...and then edited those fake names when they started pulling in an unintended clientele. Now, we have non-pervy names, a title that is a much better fit...and we're still growing strong. This blog has seen my children grow up from the time they were babies, and I thank you for all of the support and friendship you have shown me these past four years.

Lo Gung has some seriously talented family members. Did I ever tell you? Besides producing parents who are model Perfect In-Laws, he managed to procure a girl cousin who is insanely good at the piano. Like started-when-she-was-5 good. Like does-big-performances-good.

Like Wins-Concerto-Competitions and Headlines-With-The-Seattle-Symphony good.

True story.

Since we happen to live not-too-far from Seattle, her mother rounded up five tickets and invited MaMa (Grandma), YehYeh (Grandpa), Lo Gung, Ming Wai and myself to come listen to the performance. (Along with 15-20 friends and family from their crew in Richmond, BC.) We were quite a group!

Siu Jeun stayed home and played ball with my (saintly) father, and Ming Wai went to her first symphony concert. It was a program geared for kids, and ending with an instrumental version of Dr. Seuss’s My Many Colored Days. Ming Wai was very impressed that the princess (Natalie) came out to talk to us afterwards, and we got to take lots of pictures. Everyone was so proud of her – she’s only 17! The highlight of my day, though, was when some sweet Chinese girls approached Ming Wai and I. One got down low and told Ming Wai she was very pretty, and could they please take a picture? It was a funny end to a great day – Ming Wai had garnered some fans of her own at the symphony that day!

The Best Fish and Chips I Ever Ate

2011-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

As the old song goes…this isn’t ACTUALLY the best fish and chips I ever ate. This is a blog post, with a PICTURE of the best fish and chips I ever ate.

Huge hunks of fresh halibut, in a really thin batter that let the fish shine through. Obviously, this restaurant isn’t big on veg, but…this fish was worth the carbo load. The rest of the plate was not as inspiring…but the shiny orb of “butter” in the little plastic cup did make me giggle.

We got a recommendation from a friend to visit this place while we were vacationing on the Oregon Coast, and I am ever so grateful! It was delicious. If you’re in the Cannon Beach/Gearhart/Seaside area, you must stop in here! At the junction of Hwy 26 and Hwy 101.

Sea Breeze Restaurant

84776 Highway 101

Seaside, OR 97138

PhotoOp: Siu Jeun “reads”

2011-05-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, this video is several months old at this point, but I just found it on my video camera…and I had to share. (Sorry – my blog, my rules!)

So, around the time I recorded this, Ming Wai had memorized her entire Sleeping Beauty story book. She loved to “read” it to herself, and gave special emphasis to the part about how Sleeping Beauty DIES. After pricking her finger on a SPINDLE.

As you can see, it had quite an effect on her little brother.

How to Plant a Hanging Basket, Pt 3. (Herbs)

2011-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

(For Part 1, please go here. For part 2, go here.)
Welcome to part three of our hanging basket series! Herbs! This basket was definitely the darling of the evening.

Start, again, with an empty pot and some good dirt. (Melissa likes Miracle grow.) Remember not to fill the pot all the way – after you fit all your plants in, you will add the rest of your dirt.

Melissa started with a nice tall Rosemary in the center of her basket.

Do you see those crazy brown roots at the bottom? She just up and ripped them off. When the plant is root-bound like that, it does no harm to remove them. They will grow back!

Then, pick out 6-7 of your favorite herbs and go to town! When you pick your herbs, think about height, and make sure they can all deal with the same sun environment.

Start with your “centerpiece”, and then pop your shorter herbs around the edges.

Generally, Melissa removes the tags from ALL of the plants she…plants. She makes an exception for herbs, though – when you absolutely must remember what everything is, so you can use it in the right dishes, tags are rather important! (Seriously…I can’t be the only person who’s ever mixed up mint and sage from the garden….right??!)
Dig out a small hole, then fit your herbs down into the holes.

The basket is starting to come together!

The finished product! You can see that this basket is more utilitarian than its sun and shade counterparts. This basket is all about having yummy fresh herbs all summer long…out of the reach of slugs, bunnies and other sneaky ground-dwelling thieves!

As a surprise, our lovely host Julie pulled out a festive hat and put all of our names into it. Three lucky ladies went home with the finished baskets.

Thank you so much for joining me! I hope you enjoyed learning about hanging baskets…and a big welcome to all of the church ladies that came over for a re-cap! Hope to see you at our next class!

How to Plant a Hanging Basket, Pt 2. (Shade)

2011-05-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

(For Part 1, please go here. We are re-capping a fun gardening class, in parts. Come and learn how to plant a beautiful hanging basket!)

The shade basket came together just like the sun basket – something tall in the center…

…and some fluffier stuff around it.

Melissa used impatiens, and warned us NOT to mess with the roots too much. With some plants, you can fan them out to encourage them to grow. Impatiens are NOT like that, and have a rather delicate constitution. Just pop them out of their nursery pots, and carefully into the dirt.

Heike explains to us the best way to trap a slug. (Find yourself a disposable plastic water bottle and knock holes in two sides, large enough for a slug to climb through. Tie a string to a pencil, and then stick it through the holes. Put some beer in the bottom of the bottle, and then stick your pencil through the holes so that the string hangs down to the beer. Cap it, and bury the bottle in your garden up to the holes. The trickiest part is keeping your cookies down while disposing of your bottle full of…well, drunk slugs.)

Any lovely shade-loving flowers or greens will work in a shade basket. Look for small things that might go un-noticed on the ground or in a garden bed. Your local nursery will be able to direct you to the plants you want.

And it’s done! Stay tuned – our final basket is up next. Herb basket!

How to Plant a Hanging Basket, Pt 1: Sun loving

2011-05-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hello, y’all! A few nights ago, my ward Relief Society put together a class on planting hanging baskets. We have a very talented, and knowledgeable, sister in our ward (Hi, Melissa!) who has been working with soil and plants for over a decade. She graciously agreed to teach us what she could in an hour. She planted three baskets – one for the sun, one for the shade, and one full of herbs. Today, we’ll look at the sun basket. (The class was held in Julie’s gorgeous home, and we were so grateful! Thanks, Julie!)

Our line up. She chose some gorgeous, and tall, vining geraniums for the center of her pot. Around that were some fluffy greenery and trailing petunias.

Behold! The pot!

You start by filling it about 4/5 of the way with dirt. (Melissa prefers Miracle Grow Potting Mix, since it has all sorts of fertilizers already in there.)

Make sure that your pot has a hole, or a few, in the bottom. This makes sure that your plants’ roots do NOT end up sitting in a puddle of water. Water puddles + roots = sad plants. If you find a pot that you simply MUST have that doesn’t have holes, you can carefully drill holes in the bottom. If the pot is too delicate for that, you can add a layer of gravel to the bottom of the pot.

When planting your flowers, go ahead and pinch off any dead blooms. This will encourage new flowers to grow. (On a geranium, you pinch off the blooms at the bottom of their stalk, back where it meets a leafing branch.)

Next, add your petunias (or other medium-height flower). Just dig a little hold and pop your petunias in.

Last, she added these fluffy green guys. (Sorry, I cannot for the life of me remember what these guys were. But they’re fluffy. And green. Help?) She had a brilliant little trick – she planted them sideways. The roots are nearly horizontal so that the greenery will trail over the side of the pot.

Then she took more dirt and piled it on top to cover the roots, at the end. This also fills in any holes around the plants. You want the dirt all the way up to the top of the pot now, so go ahead and fill it up.

When the dirt is all in, go ahead and give your pot a few good taps to get everything settled in.

After the pot was finished, Melissa mixed some of this Quick Start fertilizer with water, and gave the plant a good drink. (We jokingly called this Hormone Replacement Therapy. It encourages the plants to put out new growth.)

(Also, a cool tip? If you are gone for a weekend, and come back to find your potted plants all droopy and sad, you can feed them some of this and they will perk right up. Be careful, though, and make sure you water with CLEAN, fertilizer-free water afterwards to wash off the leaves. If the fertilizer-laced water is left on the leaves, the sun will produce big brown spots on the leaves.)

And the finished product!!
Stay tuned for our other baskets!

The Elephant in the Room (and friends)

2011-05-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it’s not REALLY an elephant, but it IS large. And grey. And a little more exotic than your average golden retriever (which you might typically find in a room. Right? Moving on.)

Once upon a time there was a store near us called Buddha Belly. Sadly, they closed their doors in April and are moving to an all-online sort of presence. I think. (If you are in Las Vegas, I believe you might have a pop-up shop going soon of their un-sold gear. Just a heads up.)

Anyhow, it was run by two or three ladies. Virginia traveled to Bali every 6-12 months, met artisans, toured old homes or temples preparing for demolition, and gathered up wares. These were then shipped back to the USA, passed through customs, and eventually made their way to her small, funky shop. She gathered everything from hand-painted, cat-themed tchotchke, to carved stone buddhas, to huge antique pieces of furniture. She also sold Native American artwork from a local artisan here in Seattle, and handmade jewelry from another local artisan. The store was an absolute delight, and fit in perfectly with the Asian/fusion vibe we’ve got going on in our home.

We stopped in several times on a whim during the last year…and usually left with furniture. When she wanted to get rid of something, she would put it on silly cheap clearance, and somehow the pieces would always be just the size and style we were looking for.

When she had her Closing Shop sale, we came home with these two beauties. Again, for a Silly Cheap Price. (The black console table in the foreground, and the armoire in the background.) We knew we wanted a console behind the sofa, and were also looking for a way to store my mountains of sheet music.

Lo Gung went out of town after we had paid for the furniture, but before we were able to pick all of it up. I went back with my little sister to pick up the black table…and came out with one more little treasure. (I just wouldn’t feel loyal to my Seattle heritage if I had left this totem pole out of my life!)

He seems pleased to be here. I think. Are totem poles ever pleased about anything?

And…maybe I should think about putting a picture in that frame, eh? I’ll add it to the to-do list…

Photo Op: Sunday Afternoon at the Temple

2011-05-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Word to your Mother

2011-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

(I totally stole that from Rory’s facebook status. So, Rory? Thanks for the awesome quote. *grin*)

As I write this, it is the close of Mother’s Day 2011. And what a lovely Mother’s Day it was. The fun started at 8 am (woohoo for sleeping in!). Ming Wai wandered into our room, sat on the bed and said, “Mom? What’s for breakfast?” Lo Gung jumped in and said, “Ming Wai, why don’t you go over and grab the box of Mommy’s presents??” She loves things like that, and jumped up to grab them. The “kids” really out-did themselves this year, and made quite a dent in my Amazon wish list! In the box were a few Japanese egg molds (to make shaped hard-boiled eggs), two silicone round cake pan liners, and my very own copy of Our Best Bites’ new cookbook. (Honestly, Lo Gung was just being smart. The cookbook was on sale this week, and was written by a friend of mine. I told him that if he didn’t order it for me, I’d buy it for myself and he’d have to find something else for my Mother’s Day gift. The silicone liners were something I’d been eyeing for weeks, in the hopes that they would end my Cake Baking Sadness, and all the pan-sticking that entails. And the molds were just fun. Heh. That Lo Gung…he’s a smart one!)

As an extra treat, I received a new dress in the mail this week!
Ok, yeah. SUPER cheesy picture, but…whatcha gonna do, eh? It’s an adorable little Shabby Apple dress that I won through a giveaway on Analogue Chic. (As a cool aside, I first met Allie, the voice behind Analogue Chic, at a small crafting group in Danbury, CT when we lived on the East Coast. The group met a cute little Irish restaurant/pub down the street from my house. I tried to go when I could but…it was really only two or three times that I made it. Still, fun to meet some local bloggers and crafters!)

Oh, and if you’ve never checked out Shabby Apple, you should! They specialize in dresses that truly are a one-piece outfit. They don’t need accessories to make you look put together. Also cool – my dress came with a little tag that introduced me to a woman in India who would be receiving part of the cost of my dress as a micro-loan to run her sewing business.

Church was the usual – I subbed for the Primary (children’s) chorister and led the children while they sang several songs to their mothers. It was a bit rag-tag, but I’m sure the mothers were feeling the love. (As I conducted the children, my mother was playing the piano and couldn’t see me at all. My son had snuck up to the Sacrament table and snitched some leftover bread. My daughter was sitting next to me, staring down the rest of the Primary children, having refused to go up front to sing. So, yeah. Pretty normal day all in all.)

This evening was spent together with my family. All 13 of us tonight. At my mother’s request, we had Belgian waffles for dinner, topped with strawberries and whipped cream, with sausages on the side. After dinner, the kids played while a few of us big ‘uns stood around the piano and belted out show tunes. As I looked around the room, I felt very blessed. Blessed to have my husband there with me, blessed to have such talented siblings, blessed to live so close to them. Just blessed.

A Ramble in the Park

2011-05-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

When the sun comes out in Seattle, in the Spring, we all go a little crazy. There are things like flowers to ogle, and bikes to ride. Apparently, even the city agrees with me – we found newly planted baby ferns in our neighborhood park!

Morning Crafts

2011-05-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

It surprises my friends when I tell them that I am a homeschooling mom. Then, I feel like I need to explain – we are homeschooling, yes, but it’s preschool.

The beautiful thing about preschool is that there is very little of the heavy sciences, maths or anything else that requires lots of thought on my part.

What we do have a lot of is nursery rhymes, letters and paint. Those are all things I am pretty good at.

Extra bonus? Our lessons take about 30 minutes, tops. It leaves a lot of time for outdoor time, baking time, craft time and free-play time. Oh, and my kids’ personal favorite – snack time. Heh.

The Climb

2011-04-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

It took about 15 minutes for her to figure this out, but she was determined. We have a rule at the park – if you can’t get onto it yourself, then you are too little to use it. (I figure that will save me some broken bones, at least for my cautious one.)

American Idol, Top 6–Results

2011-04-28T21:03:00.001-07:00

And…I’m shocked.

A little sad.

Tonight we say goodbye to Casey Abrams. With him gone, I’m not sure who I will vote for. He’s been through this once before, but you know? He made it far enough where I’m sure he’ll find the career he wants if he goes looking for it right now. He might not be the American Idol for 2011…but, really, looking at history…that might not be a bad thing.

And this boy? He is going out in STYLE. This version of I Put a Spell on You involves kissing at least two dozen strangers on the cheek, high fiving a half a dozen more, and smiles all around. Way to go, Casey. Can’t wait to see what comes next!

Getting the Shot

2011-04-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

And not one that I would put on the wall. Heh. But it certainly shows their personalities!

American Idol, Top 6–Carol King Week!

2011-04-27T21:30:00.001-07:00

First off, can I just say to Ryan – you are looking rather dapper tonight! Is that a new ‘do?

I love me some Carol King..my mom got me hooked in high school, and her music still makes me smile. I’m looking forward to tonight!

1. Jacob Lusk (Oh No, My Baby) – Jacob, you are letting your inner freak flag FLY. A purple striped bow-tie, a lemon yellow button down, a sky blue button-up vest, dark wash jeans…and a blue and white plaid coat. WOW. Now, outfit aside, they asked him to RIFF this week…and man, this boy can riff. He just doesn’t riff like any of the other boys. He riffs like Whitney Houston. It started out slow for me, but he really killed it at the end. He’s done it’s best, and now we just have to see a) if anyone tanks tonight and b) if he has enough fans to survive.

2. Lauren Alaina (Where you Follow) – She’s worried about hitting the high notes. “Have you ever tried a high note and not hit it?” “…no..” “…<crickets>…” There’s yer answer! Now, girl – go forth and rock. And rock it, she does. It’s even in her face this week. I hope it’s not too little too late…for her sake. I have no doubt that she will go as far as she wants to, but a few more weeks on the show would give her a lot more polish. (She pulled a boy up on stage – he’s either a friend, or REALLY lucky. haha) Even the judges are happy.

(Interim Duet – Casey and Hayley, “I Feel the Earth Move”. I love this song, I love Casey, Hayley is doing a great job…some of their harmonies are just not working for me. Unfortunately, they’re the harmonies on the chorus. Also, Hayley’s yodel-ish sound makes a lot more sense when you hear her speak. She always sounds like she has laryngitis. So..imagine singing with “no voice”…forever. No wonder she has so much fun! She sounds like a cartoon!)

3. Scotty McCreery (When You’re Down) – Jimmy wants him to keep it romantic. I just want him to keep his head vertical. It’s listing again. I don’t know what to say about this. It’s definitely not as affected as other weeks, and I appreciate that. I can tell that it’s hard for Scotty not to take this to the Sparkly-Elvis-Impersonator place…and he mostly succeeds.

4. James Durbin (Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow) – This was a request from fans on AmericanIdol.com. Heh. You know, listening to this…his voice is just as high as Jacob’s. It’s a shame, honestly, that his showmanship overshadows his voice, because he’s got a great set of pipes. I’m getting a really 50’s rock n’ roll vibe from him tonight. The end was high…but a little flat, to me. But, as Lo Gung pointed out, nobody else can do what he does…so nobody cares if it’s flat.

(Another Duet – Lauren and Scotty, “Up On the Roof”. Not loving this. I wish they had paired Casey and Lauren. Scotty doesn’t blend well.

5. Casey Abrams (Hi De Ho) – I love Casey when he’s in this space. He’s growling, he’s inspiring, he’s swinging. I would love to see him as the next Michael Buble, just a little bluesier. Mmmm.

6. Hayley Reinhart(Beautiful)- She’s making me miss the Sunshine girl from last season. I can’t find any fault with this! Again, just like Jacob, it’s going to come down to personal preferences. Everyone really brought their best tonight, and I can’t find fault with it. Go girl! I still don’t understand, though, what her niche in the modern market would be. She can sing anything, but I don’t hear a record in her. I can’t picture her concert.

(Another Duet – Jacob and James, “Something Tells Me I’m Into Something Good”. They must have read my mind! I’d love to hear these two have a sing-off. They’ve both got the top end! Oh, Jacob, PLEASE loosen up. If this was a sing-off, James just won.

Now, go forth and vote, y’all! Remember that you can vote at www.AmericanIdol.com

Good luck, kids!

And just like that…

2011-04-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

Easter is done. The plastic aspects of this holiday are minimal in our home, and I try my best to teach my kids about the true reason for the holiday. Of course, what a four year old and two year old actually hear in those conversations is anyone’s guess.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

The Bunny Done Come!

2011-04-26T22:28:00.001-07:00

So, there’s a bunny that has a tendency to come around this time of year. In general, he might bring a few eggs full of candy, maybe a book or two, or a dress.

Well…yeah.

See, someone in the house needed a bike so that someone ELSE could inherit a tricycle.

And someone else desperately needed a basketball. I think he slept with it that night.

And some grandparents might have slipped some pillow pets to said bunny ahead of time.

And some OTHER grandparents might have found ADORABLE Easter outfits.

So, you see, it really isn’t my his fault.

American Idol, Top 7–Results!

2011-04-21T20:58:00.001-07:00

Kicking the night off with a sweet Ford commercial, and then our three white guys (sorry!) singing some Coldplay. This is interesting – Scotty is trying NOT to sound country, Casey is trying not to sound jazzy and James is trying…well, I don’t know what he’s trying, but he sounds country. Heh.

(Did I get that right…seven kids, minus two girls…minus our Hispanic hero and our gospel choir boy. That leaves….the three white boys. Interesting choice – I would have put Jacob’s and Stefano’s voices in there.)

Time for some results. Casey, stand up. Jacob, stand up. Casey, you are safe. Jacob, you are in the bottom three.

Time for one of my favorite winners – David Cook is debuting his new single. This…has potential. I think it will be better on the radio, quite honestly. It’s not mixed quite right, to my ear. I’ll be looking forward to hearing this on the radio! (Go here to hear it. And, yes, it sounds better mixed in a studio.)

A little vid clip of the kids having some fun and getting pampered…and back to the serious stuff. Lauren, James, and Stefano, head to the center of the stage. After the nationwide vote, Stefano you are in the bottom three. Lauren, you and James are safe!

Scotty and Hayley, you are up. Scotty, you are safe. Hayley, you are in the bottom three.

(Lo Gung interjects here, it doesn’t matter what they sing – it’s these three in the bottom.)

Hayley, you are safe. You can head back. First, let’s listen to Katie Perry sing something! And it’s…ET. (Why is this making me miss Adam Lambert? James has his fire, but his performances have NOTHING on Adam. *sigh*)

Time for some news…dim the lights, and here we go. After 52 million votes, the person who is leaving us tonight is…..Stefano. Stefano, I’m sure we’ll be hearing from you, seeing as you kinda sorta live half an hour from here.

Good luck, kid, and we’ll see the other 6 of you next week!

Just Makes Me Happy

2011-04-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Just because. This is a picture of my two kids, on the way home from the park, rolling down the sidewalk towards our house. Ming Wai on her nearly-too-small tricycle her aunt gave her two years ago. Siu Jeun on his COMPLETELY too small ride-on toy that was originally a birthday gift to his big sister when she turned one. Siu Jeun has rubbed the toes off of all of his sneakers, riding that thing around the neighborhood. (A little bunny came by the other day and told me, in complete confidence, that a Big Bunny might be bringing a new bicycle for the Big Girl this weekend…in which case Siu Jeun will inherit his sister’s tricycle. Boys totally dig Dora, right?)

American Idol, Top 7

2011-04-20T21:58:00.001-07:00

(This is a guest post from the ever fabulous and handsome Lo Gung. That would be my husband. He blogs, occasionally, here, and is the yin to my yang. He first introduced me to American Idol, back in the day, and always has opinions on the kids’ songs, notes, and outfits. Much thanks, honey, for writing this tonight while I was off in meetings!)

I went through and numbered the contestants, in case anyone would like to vote tonight. Take it away, Lo Gung!

American Idol Top 7

Music from the 21st Century

All the eliminated people are singing – “So What!” by Pink.

They sounded horrible. I am glad some of them are eliminated, (sorry Aunt LoLo) including Paul. He
didn’t sing one note on key. It was sad. Not sure why they did that just to fill up time.

1. Scotty

Swinging by LeeAnn Rimes

Besides the low notes that he always hits, I don’t know if there is anything good about this song. It is
probably too “country” for my taste. The song is just too boring.

The judges aren’t in love with it either. Basically said that with all the songs you can choose from, you
picked “this”?

With all the tweeners and the country fans voting, doesn’t really matter what he sings. My prediction –
he is safe this week.

2. James

Uprising by Muse

Marching band and everything! Rough start – a little too low in his register. Good chorus though. Singing
an octave higher than it’s written, but it is right on.

Judges – loved it. It is amazing. The song is totally in his zone.

He is definitely talented. He is really good in his genre of music. I wonder if he can really carry a tune
though (meaning if he sing a song without screaming, would he be able to keep people’s interest for
more than 3 minutes). At any rate, tonight – he did well. My prediction – he’s safe.

3. Haley

Rolling in deep by Adele

Bold choice. This is probably the biggest hit right now and a dozen people are covering this song
already. Good luck.

I am surprised. She switched up her tone of voice and it worked. The emotions aren’t there though. Nice
change ups and runs. I am glad that she did well. It is not an easy song to sing. Whoa!

Judges – Happy that she picked this song and showed people what she can do. Little slow at the start,
but picked it up. There were moments that she did better than Adele (I don’t agree with that).

Again, I think she did very well. Definitely took a risk and paid off. My prediction though – she’s been
in the bottom 3 a few times. At this point in the game, I am not sure she will last in the competition
no matter how good she sings. So, I am going to put my prediction for her on hold until the show has
ended.

4. Jacob

Dance with my Father by Luther Van Dross

Resident diva of the show. Some weird cutoff at the beginning. The song fit him like a glove. He
definitely did a good job on the song. But I am not surprise that he did well. Again, I do not like his
screaming – no reason for a guy to sing higher than a high E.

Judges – great control and emotional. Vocally it was good, but it didn’t make the judges jump up and
down. He needs to go for it.

My prediction – he’s been at the bottom. He could be in the bottom 3 this week, I think he will be safe
though.

5. Casey

Harder to breathe by Maroon 5

His beard is getting shorting, which is a plus. Looking less like he’s homeless. He’s playing the guitar this
time. I like the unplugged beginning. Sounds like he is rushing the song a little bit. His attitude is a little
too angry for the song. HAHA. And sneaked a kiss on J.Lo’s forehead.

Judges – J.Lo loved it (the performance). Took a pop song made it more rock. Another good surprise.
Keep taking chances. He is “the” cult hero.

My prediction – He is safe. I really would quit idol forever if he is kicked off “again”.

6. Stefano

Closer by Ne-yo

I am excited because I think he can do well on the song. Please don’t dance and sing at the same time.

Not a lot of people can pull that off. The runs were good though. However, overall it was below my
expectation.

Judges – he did a very good job and smoothed the song out. It was a good performance.

My prediction – consistent with weeks before, he WILL be in the bottom 3. People are just not voting for
him.

Lauren

7. Born to fly by Sara Evans

Slow to start, but she recovered it nicely. A little too safe. But it is in her zone. So, I am on the fence with
this one. She is sweet though.

Judges – there is a lot of color in her voice. She is not taking chances though. Again it was too safe. She
needs to believe in herself. Needs to challenge herself.

My prediction – there are only 2 girls left and she definitely has more popularity. So, she will be safe.

Final prediction – bottom 3 – Haley, James, and Stefano with Stefano going home tomorrow.

Thanks, Lo Gung!! Now, who are y’all going to vote for this week???

Friday

2011-04-15T11:16:00.001-07:00

1) I caught whatever laid my household flat yesterday. 2) it's Friday 3) I have a three hour rehearsal, including a solo and duet, with an orchestra tonight for this weekends Easter concert. With a sore throat. 4) did I mention I'm sick, and tired from playing doctor mom two nights in a row?
5) for all these reasons, today seemed like a great day to pretend I was 22 again and dress up however I wanted to.

What do you do when you want to buck off the blahs???

~Aunt LoLo

American Idol, Top 8–Results

2011-04-14T22:02:00.001-07:00

Well, y’all. I’m sad, but not totally surprised. Our dear friend Paul McDonald is headed home tonight.

Paul, good luck!! Now, go forth and wow us.

PS – I heard from a little birdy that my sweetheart Pia Toscano has landed a record deal this week. So…good luck to you, Pia! Go here to get the juicy details, and thanks Kim for the heads up!!

American Idol, Top 8

2011-04-13T21:37:00.001-07:00

It’s movie week, y’all. Let’s see what the kids come up with!

(Oh, and excuse of the week – hubs and I were out for sushi tonight. And it was delicious. I highly recommend Genki Sushi! Yum…and cheap. My favorite combination.)

1. Paul McDonald – Not loving this. I’ve just got to be honest. (Seeing Super Grandma, the babysitting wonder, off for the night. Heh.)

2. Lauren Alaina (The Climb) – A great song for her, and she is looking for more comfortable up there! Happy, even. (Looking for sippy cups and security blankets.)

3. Stefano Langone – The most Real I’ve seen home. (Sorry – this performance was sacrificed to bedtime!)

4. Scotty McCreery (Cross My Heart)– The only thing I can think is…I wonder if he knows he is listing whenever he sings. It’s never bothered me before, but this week especially…he’s reminding me of that little four year old he used to be, bustin’ out the Elvis in front of his Mama’s mirror with an old hairbrush. His voice, of course, is still exactly what it’s always been – good, old fashioned COUNTRY.

5. Casey Abrams (Nature Boy) – His mentors wanted him to do In The Air Tonight, by Phil Collins. Our boy decided to stick with Nat King Cole…and I haven’t decided yet if he was right. I appreciate that Casey wanted to be true to himself. It’s a fine line, though – the definition of “Casey Abrams” is most likely a genre, and not a particular song. That said…this was good. I felt it was pitchy but so cool, you know? Way cool. Good job, Casey. We are seeing genres this year that we’ve NEVER seen before.

6. Haley Reinhart (Call Me) – For me, this was an interesting one. I am not missing the yodeling, not for a moment. I’m glad she’s found another way to use her unique voice. Vocally, she’s loads better. That said, she still looks very uncomfortable when she marches up and down and around…and yet, she does insist on it. *sigh*

7. Jacob Lusk (Bridge Over Troubled Water) – He was counseled not to do something corny, like The Impossible Dream. So he’s doing Bridge Over Troubled Water. (Sez Lo Gung, “So…this isn’t corny?!” Heh.) Guys, this is painful. Mr. Producer/Mentor hit it on the head. Jacob was preaching to 24 million people last week (“If you don’t like this song, you can’t look yourself in the mirror.”) And now our Choir Boy is bringing laying on the Gospel Choir something fierce. He’s getting a good response from the audience, but looking at the big picture….I don’t know if there is room for a Gospel Singer in this competition for much longer.

8. James Durbin (Heavy Metal) – Well, America, let’s recap. We have a gospel singer. We have an old fashioned country western singer. We have a crooner with a stand up bass. And…now we have heavy metal. Unapologetic, leather-clad, desk stomping, head swinging, heavy metal. The audience is cracking me up. They have no idea what to do with this. To be fair, that was great heavy metal. Really great heavy metal. I just…don’t like heavy metal. Heh.

Remember, you can vote online!!

American Idol, Top 9–Results

2011-04-07T21:55:00.001-07:00

First three on the stage – Lauren, Casey, Stefano. After the nationwide vote, Stefano, you are in the bottom three.

Now, we welcome back Constantine to sing for us. “I Need Your Love.” Can I be completely honest here? This is reminding me of a barroom karaoke performance. Ouch. Oh well – at least he has a cute new baby to flash on the screen!

And it turns out the girls were styled by Gwen Stefani last night. Fun little tidbit!

Next three in the spotlight – Paul, Pia and Scotty. Pia, you are in the bottom three. (I’m in shock…but I think there’s a bit of the Pageant Queen in her that is killing off her fan base. Which is a shame, because the girl can SING.)

A fun little bit of Media training for the contestants. And we have learned…Ryan Seacrest does wear platforms, Casey Abrams is dating “your mom!” and there are bibs being sold with Pia’s name on them….so she should see about getting herself a lawyer when all this is over and start protecting her image.

Now, James, Jacob and Haley are up for judgment. Jacob, you are in the bottom three.

Your bottom three, America: Jacob, Pia and Stefano.

Oh, folks. Right here is where I apologize to ANYONE who watched this show. See, they invited a Real Live Rock n’ Roll hall of famer tonight. And, they brought in Iggy Pop. MY EYES!!!!! Skinny jeans, lank blond hair and TOPLESS is not my idea of a good time. Oh my dear, blessed eyes…I will miss you. He is shaking his hips like a silly barmaid (do you see a theme tonight? Sorry) and..oh my. Well, that’s that, then. Iggy Pop, y’all.

Now, let’s get serious. It’s time to say goodbye to one of our contestants. Right now.

After this break.

Jacob, you are safe.

The person leaving us tonight is…..Pia Toscano.

The judges are ticked. Jennifer is crying, and I think Randy almost said a naughty word on air. Her first time in the bottom three. Jennifer is “shocked and angry.” Randy is “gutted” and called her one of the best singers in the competition.

There will be no save, as there are none left. Pia, we are looking forward to your career. This is of little consolation to her right now, but it has been my observation that contestants that do NOT win fare much better than contestants that DO (Adam Lambert vs. Taylor Hicks comes to mind).

Pia, get out there and sing, with no rules, with no judges, with no themes. Go do your thing, girl.

Ryan is going to put her on the spot, and can’t let the evening end on a sad note. She chooses to sing I’ll Stand By You. (Girl, that’s not what I would choose. When I’m close to crying, nothing but a rockin’ ballad will do!)

American Idol, Top 9–Rock and Roll!

2011-04-06T21:38:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame week! I’m late to the evening, because frankly…mama needed a date tonight and the siren call of hot apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, shared with my hubbie, took precedence over the first few singers tonight. (Sorry, y’all. Just keeping it real!) (Oh, and that crisp? Pretty amazing, y’all.) Unfortunately, I missed Casey while I was seeing our babysitter Wonder out (thanks, Mom!), so I’m pretty bummed about that…but judging by the standing ovation he got as I walked back into the room, he did well.

1. (added at the end of the show) – Jacob Lusk- radiant in white
2. (added at the end of the show)Haley Reinhart – rocking out instead of countrifying, and no yodeling.
3. (added at the end of the show) Casey Abrams – I’m crying because I missed this one. Grooving out with a stand up base. *sob*
4. Lauren Alaina – She wants to show her personality and her confidence…but her face isn’t selling it. The rest of her body language, though, is loads better. She even got a little hip in there! The song, vocal wise, was pretty great. (A handful of off notes, but I can forgive her that. I just need the girl to get the acting into her face, and we will have a winner on our hands.

5. James Durbin – An interesting move, but every rocker has their ballad! Loved the high note at the end! And I, for one, was grateful for the lack of fire tonight.

(Little break to tuck the kidlets into bed!)
6. Scotty McCreery – Country boy threw down with an Elvis number, and had a lot of fun doing it. He’s an interesting one for me..because he’s not fitting the mold anymore. He came in and seemed super shy and just all around sweet and wholesome. He’s still sweet and wholesome..but he’s got a bit of ego poking out now. Call it confidence if you like, but it’s throwing me off. Is that an odd thing to say?

7. Pia Toscano – Well, a ballad this is not! Awesome, it was. I don’t know what else to say. There was a husky quality to her voice tonight that I’d never heard. She can do anything.

8. Stefano Langone – I’ve got to say, this…didn’t bug me. Well, the first few notes bugged me – they were HIGH, and (dare I say?) flat. However, the rest of the song was quite nice. And didn’t feel…staged to me.

9. Paul McDonald – In his rehearsal, he was entitled to sing this song like he was out of his blinkin’ mind. I don’t think there’s anyone else in this competition that could put an order like that to good use! (And, for the record, I’ve never EVER seen anyone happier to announce they shot a man in Reno, just to watch him diiiiiiieeee. heh) Man, I’ve lovin’ this. What a way to end the show! I wouldn’t have changed a single thing. Not one note.

PS – Did you know you can vote online, at www.AmericanIdol.com? You can, and that makes me pretty happy! Go and vote for your favorites, because it’s anybody’s game at this point. Everyone rocked it.

Their House Repels Dirt. Apparently.

2011-04-06T00:24:00.000-07:00

(Thank you Mags and Bert for pointing out that the picture in the original post...wasn't there. Oops. Thanks, guys!)
I have this fabulous neighbor, MK. She is everything a neighbor should be. She showed up with a gorgeous Bundt cake when I moved in, she gave me the names and numbers for all her "guys" (window guys, rat guys, gutter guys, roof guys.) She has a lot of guys. Oh, and a garden guy. We used the same garden guy for a few months last year, mostly to keep the house looking at least decent while we waited to move in. (There was a three month gap between closing on the house and actually moving in, because of work.) Anyhow, the gardening guy was great, and did a phenomenal job.

However, after we'd been moved in for a month or two, I just felt like I would rather save the money and do the job myself. We didn't have a lawn to speak of, and I invested in a few cool tools to keep the weeds under control. (How had I never heard of an action hoe before?! I will never kneel down to pull weeds again!) However, even with all my snazzy tools, my yard never looked as nice as hers. (And, in my defense, my yard WAS being cared for by an amateur. Namely, me. While her yard basked in the glow of Professional Two Man Team-dom.) I was a little embarassed, honestly.

She remarked, after about two months, that had I let the gardener go? Because the yard wasn't looking as nice as it used to. Ouch. Then there were the leaves. I didn't know how he did it, but her yard hardly EVER had a leaf visible in it, while my yard seemed littered with them. Even as I raked and blew and bagged, I could still see them hiding under bushes, or hooked on branches, just waiting to come down. All. Year. Long.

It wasn't until a recent doozy of a windstorm that I realized not all of my embarrassment was entirely necessary.

Do you see what I see? All those little blogs are soggy, pollen filled "pine cones" from a large tree behind my fence. They, inexplicably, STOP AT MY PROPERTY LINE. This picture was taken first thing in the morning, and I haven't seen the gardener in weeks. I've never seen MK in her yard, working or otherwise...this is simply some cosmic joke.

Apparently, in the Grand Script, I play the part of Pigpen.

Works for Me: Wet Shopping Carts

2011-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, it’s been AGES since I’ve linked up to any sort of Works for Me carnival…but this? I had to share. I thought it was pretty genius!

Picture this – it’s Saturday, you know Costco is going to be a ZOO, but there are a few Staples which really must be purchased. So, you load up the kids, and you go. Of course, you were right about the hoards of people part, so you park in the spot that is furthest from the front door. Really, you’re practically back out in the street. You’ve already warned the kids that the place will be packed so 1) they will sit in the cart, 2) they will not whine to get down and 3) they will not whine. Period.

Oh, and did I mention it was pouring buckets?

I intended on being a Strict Mama, but I didn’t want to be a Mean Mama as well, so I decided to jerry rig the cart so at least the bony-bummed little princess wouldn’t whine about the lack of padding. I opened our hatch-back truck and positioned a (wet) cart underneath the overhang. I pulled out the blanket that I use to line the trunk to keep the seatbacks clean (what??!) and draped it over the cart seats.

I then dashed around the car, unbuckled the little man and told Ming Wai to unbuckle herself and be ready to go when I came back. She, of course, couldn’t understand my haste…because cold, fat drops of rain weren’t dripping down HER neck during this conversation. I ran back to the cart and got Siu Jeun situated, then returned for his sister. I threw her in the cart, and she was all smiles. Amazing what 1/4” of padding will do…

Then I looked out at the rain. What I didn’t want to do was to hand an easily-distracted four year old an umbrella and play Russian Roulette with my eyeballs. Try really, really hard not to poke mommy in the eye with the umbrella, and make sure to hold it nice and high so we all stay dry! Instead, I looked back at the blanket that I had covered the seat with. There was just enough…to make a tent.

(Once inside the store, Siu Jeun refused to model the “tent” and started disrobing as well. Heh.)

The kids were all grins and giggles as I raced through the parking lot, my own rubber boots splashing through the puddles, rain cascading down my head.

And you know what? We got in and out of Costco with nary a cross word. Success! (And that? Works for me. *grin*)

American Idol, Top 11–Results!

2011-03-31T21:01:00.001-07:00

Remember, two kids are going home tonight. And, because I love you, I’m here to spill the beans. So, consider yourself warned! If you don’t know which two Idol hopefuls are headed home tonight…stop reading right now. ‘

I only have a few observations about tonight’s show. Just a few…little thoughts.

So, right now, Paul, James, Casey and Stefano are up on the stage in a little “mock band” performing Band on the Run. They sound great…all except for Stefano. He sounds like he’s never learned how to mix with a group at all. Except for that sore thumb on keyboard, they sound quite nice together!

Next thought – Will I. Am is up with Jamie Foxx performing their song from the new animated movie “Rio”, called “Hot Wings.” There are loads of dancers all over the stage and hanging out in the audience. They have big flouncy things on their rears, with boy-short cut leotards on. I have to say, I’m impressed with how much clothing those girls have on!! Sleeves down to the elbow, and necklines that even I could pull off. Thank you, guys, for keeping it classy when debuting a song from a KID’S movie. And I mean that sincerely.

Our bottom three tonight are Thia Meghia, Naima Adedapo and Paul McDonald. Only one of them will “survive” the night.

And the one staying on to sing another week is…Paul McDonald.

Naima Adedapo and Thia Meghia are headed home. They’ve had a great ride, and should be proud of all they’ve accomplished. They are handling this news well, and they will be just fine.

Tune in next week to do this all over again! Until next time, y’all.

American Idol, Top 11. Again. (This time, with Elton John!)

2011-03-30T22:28:00.001-07:00

Y’all, welcome to Elton John week. Bring on the bling!

1. Scotty McCreery (Country Comfort) – Totally country, totally Scotty, totally classic.

2. Naima Adedapo (I’m Still Standing) Jamaican style. One thing I will say for Naima, she has chosen a niche and she’s sticking with it. She may have over-done it this week by doing the whole thing in an accent that she doesn’t have when she speaks (instead of sneaking some reggae into the middle), but only time will tell what America thinks.

3. Paul McDonald (Rocket Man) – Boy brought back his posie suit!! I’m not sure this is the right song for him…something about his voice reminds me of Elton John on this song, so it doesn’t sound too much like HIM, you know?

4. Pia Toscano (Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me) – If she was going to ignore the judge’s advice to skip the ballads for a week or two, she didn’t a great night to do it. She nailed that.

5. Stefano Langone (Tiny Dancer) – Remember, last week how they told him to reach out and touch his audience. So, he grabbed Jennifer’s hand at the end, which was more than just a little cheezy.

6. Lauren Alaina (Candle in the Wind) – She’s taking this pretty straight, with her little country spin on it, and it’s lovely. Just lovely.

7. James Durbin (Saturday Night’s Alright) – This boy is rocking it! And he’s teaching the audience a new dance. And throwing a mic stand. And standing on the red baby grand. And now…the piano is shooting flames in the air. And ending on a high note. He does know what he wants!

8. Thia Meghia (Daniel) – Alright, she’s winning me over. This song is spot on, non-pageant-ish, and just great. I think she’s actually going to cry!

9. Casey Abrams (Your Song) – Bear boy got a trim. Hair’s shorter, beard’s shorter, and he is showing some heart tonight. He just makes me so happy. Since this is my blog, I have absolutely no obligation to be unbiased. Y’all, Casey makes me smile. He is showing some range tonight, and some soul and some sort of gentle, and he’s doing it up right. No more scary lights or grimacing. No more scary, period. The grimace, honestly, is still there…but it’s not affected. It’s just how he sings, and he sings oh so well.

10. Jacob Lusk (Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word) – Heartfelt, grand, huge…but I wish he’d stop pulling his face around like that. But, still. So big it felt epic.

11. Hayley Reinhart (Benny and the Jets) – Closing out the night is Hayley, perched on the piano. And you know what, it works for her. She’s so campy that this is the most relaxed she’s looked all season. And by that, I mean this is the first performance from her I’ve really enjoyed this season. (Like I said – I’m biased and opinionated. Heh.) That was good.

My favorites tonight…Casey, Hayley, Tia

In danger…Naima, Stefano.

Remember – there are 11 kids tonight, and next week there will only be 9. Go vote for your favorites!

So, your turn. Who did you love, what did you think?

Just a Few Thoughts

2011-03-29T21:33:00.001-07:00

It’s Tuesday night. That means that today was Bread Day. I woke up this morning, got the kids breakfast, and then started grinding wheat.

Yes, you read that right. My sister, The Incredible Homemaker of the family, owns a wheat grinder. Since she is currently too busy (read: smack dab in the middle of post-natal-dom) to bake bread, she’s lent me the electric wheat grinder. That’s some fun stuff, y’all.

Anyhow, grind the wheat, measure out the ingredients, pull out the DINOSAUR of a mixer that I’ve had for 20 years, and get cracking. (True story. When I was 9, my father “apprenticed” me to my best friend’s mother to learn to bake bread. She had a Bosch mixer, and swore it was the best. So, that year at the Spokane County Fair, my father ponied up and bought his 9 year old a Bosch mixer. I put it away a few years ago when I got a shiny red Kitchenaid, but for monster jobs…there’s nothing better than good old Bettsy Bosch!) By 1:00pm, I had 8 loaves of honey wheat bread, two loaves of honey white bread and two loaves of french bread cooling on the counter. I started packaging things up to get ready for the 2:00 Pick Up Time.

See, I’ve started selling my homemade bread to a few friends. I can’t get a Cottage Industry license until next year (if legislature gets around to passing such a bill!) so this definitely is NOT a cottage industry. Nope. Definitely not. And I’m not teaching piano out of my home either. No sir. Those kids that come around every week are here for a playdate…with me. And my piano. And their moms pay me.

Right. Moving on.

After all the bread, it was time to teach piano for an hour, then figure out dinner for the kidlets and I. (Lo Gung had a celebratory Quarter’s Over! type dinner, so he didn’t join us for our white rice with teriyaki sauce, or “salad”, ie – red lettuce with feta and Italian dressing. What can I say – I let the kids pick dinner tonight, and my big girl LOVES her some rice and salad.)

Now it’s 9:30 at night. Lo Gung is home, and the kids are asleep. All but three loaves have been picked up. Not sure what happened there, but hoping those will get picked up in the morning. (Ted, I’m looking at you!) Also happening in the morning – Lo Gung is taking a few slices of each kind of bread in to work to see if any of co-workers would like to get a loaf each week from my kitchen. I’m not sure where this will go, but I’m picturing myself right now as a sort of on-going bake-sale. I would love to have people call me and say, “Hey! I need french bread this week, and two dozen chocolate cupcakes for my son’s birthday.” Or, “Hi! I need three dozen sugar cookies and two loaves of Honey Wheat bread for a baby shower.” I love that the big girl can help me with all of this, and Siu Jeun can help, too…a little bit.

Anyhow, that’s what’s on my mind. How was YOUR day??

American Idol, Top 11–Results!

2011-03-24T21:02:00.001-07:00

Oh, kids. Last night was ROCKIN’, was it not??! There was not a truly bad performance in the mix.

Let’s get this party started…with a surprise visit from Stevie Wonder. Now, Stevie will sing happy birthday to Steven Tyler and the contestants will hand him a lit birthday cake and a rather gaudy picture of…himself. Hey, whatever floats your boat, dude. He seemed to like it!

First group up- Lauren, Pia and Scotty. The judges all liked you last night, and you will all be packing your bags….in a few months, to go on that summer tour, because you are safe! (Phew!! I love those three.)

Time for another guest artist…Sugarland, with Stuck like Glue. Sweet! Even Lo Gung is singing along.

Dim the lights, and James and Paul please head over to the center of the stage. The nation has spoken and both of you are not safe tonight. I mean REALLY not safe tonight. (Before I go on, I have to explain that both of these guys are HUGE fans of wrestling. Remember that, alright?)

And, enter Hulk Hogan.

Seriously, guys. I couldn’t make this stuff up. Hulk Hogan is on American Idol. And he just said he has good news (both of these guys are safe and going on tour) and bad news (Ryan Seacrest just got sucker punched and landed in the audience).

Dim the lights again, Jacob, Thia and Stefano up at center stage. Jacob, you are safe. Congratulations. Thia, you are in the bottom three tonight. Stefano, you are also in the bottom three tonight.

Next up, Hayley, Naima and Casey. Naima, you are safe and are heading out on tour. Casey, you are in our bottom three. Hayley, you are safe. (Y’all, that is just WRONG. WRONG.)

Let’s distract ourselves from the AWFUL results this week by inviting Jennifer Hudson out on stage. The only Idol graduate with an Oscar. Top them apples, eh?!

Let’s shrink the Sad Group and send Thia back to the comfy couch. Leaving Casey and Stefano on the uncomfy Chairs of Shame. (Y’all, seriously. I feel ill. Please let Casey be safe, and I will NEVER skip a week of voting again.)

The person with the lowest number of votes is…Casey. He’ll sing for his life – I Don’t Need No Doctor. Randy stopped him three bars in. They know who he is, and they’re going to save him. He looks like he’s going to puke. On national television. Top 11 and they are using the save.

Y’all, I will save this right now. If Pia and Casey are not in the top 5, I will boycott.

FYI – Ryan just made an announcement. Two will go home next week, BUT the tour will be Top 11, not Top 10. Woot!

American Idol–Top 11 (MoTown week!)

2011-03-24T20:46:00.001-07:00

(Oh my goodness, y’all I wrote this on Wednesday night and somehow didn’t post it. What kind of a blogger AM I?! If you can forgive me, I’ll post this right now. I’ll have the results from this week up really soon. Sorry!)

Can y’all handle it? All Motown, all night.

Good luck to the kids, and let’s get this party started!

1. Casey Abrams (Heard it Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye) – Oh, this boy just makes me smile. I can’t help it. I wish he’d practice with a mirror, though – he’s putting off a pretty psycho vibe tonight. His voice, though, is just gold. I can’t get over it! There hasn’t been someone who’s made me this happy since Melinda Doolittle. (Oh, how I miss that girl on this show!) That’s all I can say. His vocals are PERFECT, and his face while he’s singing is just plain scary. Boy ought to smile a bit more, is all I’m saying.

Steven – You are the perfect entertainer! Perfect pitch and perfect mix of CRAZY out of control ego.

Jennifer – There’s nobody like you out there right now. You can carve out a niche for yourself and be amazing.

Randy – You are definitely a true original. You can only do YOU…and that You is great!

2. Thia Meghia (Heat Wave, Martha and the Vandellas) – Oh, Thia. Girl…you’re doing great tonight. I just hope it’s not too little too late. She looks comfortable on that stage, and a ballad this is NOT. It was pretty good!!

Jennifer – It was great to see you let loose like that! Now I need you to dig a little deeper. Part of the performance is acting. I know you don’t have the life experience, but you’ve got to act it.

Randy – The reason you’re here is because we knew you had it in you. It’s about taking chances, and you can really sing, but I’m happy to see you take some chances tonight.

Steven – I’m good with it. Great.

3. Jacob Lusk (You’re all I Need, Marvin Gaye) – Guys, I’m torn here. Jacob can sing. There is no question about that. Problem is, I don’t usually like it when he does. To be cliché, he moves…like a girl. It totally throws me off. It’s distracting. That said, he nailed this song tonight. So, good job Jacob. Again, he’s another contestant that should take some videos of himself and STUDY. Stage presence is a little awkward for him.

Randy – Do you know what was wrong with that performance? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Steven – You held it back, you milked it, you DID it.

Jennifer – You made us BEG for those notes. You moved us. Great job.

4. Lauren Alaina (You Keep Me Hanging On, Diana Ross) – Love this. Love her dress, love the song for her, love her attitude. There’s just enough twang to still be Alaina, and enough soul to do Diana proud. This is great!

Steven – I don’t think you listen to anybody about anything…and I like that about you. That was beautiful.

Jennifer – You look amazing tonight. You know what I loved about this performance? You threw your head and your neck into it…so much attitude! Great job.

Randy – You have got your swagger on high. You are READY!

5. Stefano Langone (Hello, Lionel Richie) – Something’s off about this for me. His accent is really coming out…which confuses me, because I never noticed it before. Also, the song seems about a third too high for his voice. Hrm. Still, a good heartfelt performance.

Jennifer – You can sing like crazy, and we know that. We want you to CONNECT to the audience. I don’t want the intensity to come from you wanting to do WELL. I want it to come from your heart BREAKING.

Randy – The only thing you’re missing is that connection. You can SOAR. You have to be perfect emotionally AND vocally. You sounded good, but there was no real connection.

Steven – I agree with the other judges.

6. Haley Reinhart (You Really Got a Hold On Me, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) – Not doing it for me. Sorry. (Man, I feel like I’m totally harsh tonight. Sorry! Just calling it how I see it.) Nothing about Haley seems current to me. From her wardrobe to her song style. My advice? Head to Tennessee and seek your fortune.

Randy – It started rough, but by the middle of the song that Haley that we love came ROARING back!

Steven – Beautiful! Touched my heart. You don’t look a day over fabulous.

Jennifer – You have the same effortless control in your voice as Steven here. I think you may have the most soulful voice of anybody in the competition.

7. Scotty McCreery (For Once in My Life, Stevie Wonder) – Ok, they hyped this up as Scotty LEAVING his comfort zone. Haha. That was funny guys. He’s still smack in his comfort zone. Only difference is, he’s countrifying a Stevie Wonder song. Sounds like country to me, and it sounds pretty good. *grin* It’s not very exciting…but Lo Gung says it’s “very smart. Totally country, no Motown in there!”

Steven – You took a big chance in doing that. Great job! And when you go down to those low notes, you tweak everybody.

Jennifer – You really made it your own. It wasn’t your strongest performance, but you always get me with those low notes.

Randy – I was smiling the whole time because you are taking chances. You are the young lady killer!

8. Pia Toscano (All in Love is Fair, Stevie Wonder) – This girl gives me chills, every time. I’ve never heard this song before, but I’m liking it. And you know who Pia reminds me of? Celine. She could go that direction. She’s got such a huge, great voice, it is going to need Celine-style songs to really shine.

Jennifer – So, again, you kill us with one of your killer ballads. Amazing vocals, feeling, look – CHECK. You could have a career like Celine (see! haha). Celine gets on that stage and she OWNS that stage. We’ve seen you three times stand and do a ballad and knock us over. You’re going to have to do a two hour concert someday – own that stage!

Randy – What I love is that you think of the note and hit it dead on. You incorporated more falsetto in the beginning. One criticism – give me a mid or up tempo song! No more ballads. You can’t live by ballads alone.

Steven – Right now you are the closest star in this American Idol universe. You are all that, you will be all that. If stepping out and putting your sneakers on and kicking some butt is what you need to do, according to them, then I know you will do it.

9. Paul McDonald (The Tracks of My Tears, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) – Paul has such a unique sound, and it’s one that I love. I’m sorry that he’s got his guitar this week…because it means he can’t dance! This isn’t my favorite performance, but he definitely made it his own.

Randy – I like that you’re not really dancing all around. You definitely got a distinctive kind of voice, and I was really worried at the beginning…but when you sang tender at the very end…oh my GOODNESS dude. Bring more of that out!

Steven – Your voice is different and beautiful.

Jennifer – You’re the most seasoned performer we’ve got. But it’s true – you’re kind of the complete package. All you need is a good producer, and there you go!

10. Naima Adedapo (Dancing in the Streets, Martha and the Vandellas) – I am totally rooting for her right now. According to her intro video, she’s going to bust into African dance any moment. And that is going to be tough. So far so good..this is just pure fun! Alright, she hauled in the drummers, she busted her moves, and she nailed it. A little pitchy right in the middle, but she was getting ready to bust a move, so we can forgive that.

Steven – You came up with the drums, the dance…once again we see the whole package. Beautiful!

Jennifer – You’re an exciting performer. I love watching you, and it was my first little goose bumps of the night! You’re my mover and my shaker.

Randy – I’ve been a little rough on you the past couple of weeks, but finally tonight ALL of Naima showed up. Everything worked out. Everything was very smart tonight.

(Oh my stinkin’ funny…Nigel Lithgow is in the audience. He’s a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, my other favorite alternate reality.)

11. James Durbin (Livin’ For the City, Stevie Wonder) – James is working the crowd, and is absolutely loving it. Even dancing a little bit! He’s reminding me a little bit of Adam Lambert tonight, but more unpredictable. Great high notes…just gorgeous. Boy can rock.

Jennifer – You are serious business up there! It’s an incredible thing to watch, honestly. You leave me speechless, and that’s not easy to do. Honestly!

Randy – When it started, it was a little rough for me, but when you started hitting the high notes, you got your stride, and I loved the note you ended on.

Steven – I think sometimes it takes a little bit of crazy to make a difference in this world, and that’s what you’re all about. You nailed it.

Kids, that’s a wrap. Who are you voting for tonight? My favorites of the night are Pia, Casey, Thia, Lauren and Paul. (What??! Everyone did great tonight.)

Picks to go home? Stefano or Hayley.

Tonight was FIERCE competition. Good luck to all the contestants.

Spring is a good thing

2011-03-23T12:16:00.001-07:00

Today is a gorgeous, and rare, sunny day in the Pacific Northwest. We threw the school plans out and took a walk instead. We practiced naming colors, flowers, plants and numbers. Then we had "recess" in the park. Seattle, I love you.

~Aunt LoLo

Ming Wai’s Horrible Fabulous Day

2011-03-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those days? It sounds cliché, but the famous line from A Tale of Two Cities comes to mind. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Enough time has passed where I feel like I can share this story without shuddering.

(Ming Wai with my Crate and Barrel inspired sofa pillow.)

Well, without shuddering too much.

The day started off a bit iffy. The kids and I were driving daddy to the airport. Siu Jeun, especially, was all sorts of excited. Until Siu Jeun realized that Daddy had never intended on taking Siu Jeun with him. Ouch. That did not go over well! He thought he was getting a ride on an airplane.

As we started off on the drive home, I decided to stop into our favorite Asian market (Ranch 99). It’s only a few minutes from the airport, and we don’t get down that way too often. Since I was starving, I did a brave thing and took the kids to lunch, by myself. Miraculously, they were both very good. They didn’t spill any water, and didn’t throw any pho. As a reward, I told them we would pick out a treat when we made our next stop, at Ranch 99.

We tooled our way through the market, picking out a little of this and a little of that. On the candy aisle, Ming Wai made her selection – a small bag of pink jellies. When we finally made it to the check out, both of the kids were getting tired and whiney, so I knew it was time to just pay and go. Ming Wai wanted to help load up the conveyor belt, so I handed her items, while trying to keep an eye on her brother as well. We paid, grabbed our bags and turned to leave. That was when I noticed that Ming Wai was still clutching her bag of jellies, still un-paid for. Oops! Honest mistake. I turned back to our cashier, but she had already begun ringing up the next customer. I took the jellies from Ming Wai and set them near the cashier, waiting our turn to sneak back into line. That was when Ming Wai lost it. “Mommy, I wanted to hand them to her!! I wanted to dooooo iiiiiiit!!!!” I calmly turned to the cashier and told her that we wouldn’t be needing the candies after all. I didn’t want to wait around to buy a treat while she screamed at me, even though she had earned it by being so good up to that point.

We made our way on our Walk of Shame, with the four year old screaming the entire way. I want a treeeaaaat!!!!! I was GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!! “Was” being the operative word here, sweetie.

See? Bad day for Ming Wai.

In the car, she eventually calmed down and we talked about why the jellies had been left behind. She wasn’t happy, but she wasn’t screaming anymore, either. By the time we got home, Siu Jeun was asleep. I gathered him up and took him up to his crib…only to find that his lovey was missing. It’s a stinky satin blanket, and it is Absolutely Necessary. I put him in his crib and promised I’d find it. I searched through the house three times, RUNNING, knowing that with each passing moment, his chances of going back to sleep were shrinking. Rapidly.

On my third pass through the house, I crossed paths with Ming Wai. I was frantic. “I can’t find his blanket! If you find it, we’ll make cupcakes!!!” She looked at me for a moment, cocked her head to the side, paused…and took off running. Thirty seconds later, she came back holding his blanket. I handed it off to the two year old…and you’d better believe the next stop was the refrigerator to pull out eggs and butter for cupcakes.

And, just like that, it was a great day.

Now, tell me – what would you have done in these situations? I’m interested to know how you would have handled the Jelly Incident…

Schooling with the Cousins

2011-03-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

What’s more fun that a bright, colorful “schoolroom”, in a book?

A bright, colorful schoolroom in a book….with your best friend, who knows how to read.

(I love this picture of the four cousins. So very…them. Little MiMi just wants to do whatever E and Ming Wai are doing. Siu Jeun just wants to know if there are cupcakes involved.)

My Dudes

2011-03-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

As of right now, my home is evenly divided. Two dudes, two girls. I hear, quite often, that Ming Wai and I look alike. I just grin and say thank you. I think it’s quite a complement!

I have heard from my husband’s relatives that Siu Jeun looks just like him at that age.

(This face just kills me. He’s always been such a ham, and he’s trying to look “upset”, but the look never makes it to his mouth. It’s pretty funny.)

So, I leave it to you guys. Do my two favorite dudes look alike?? Honestly, I think Siu Jeun looks quite a bit like my brothers.

American Idol, Top 12- Results

2011-03-17T21:00:00.001-07:00

Hello, Thursday. Drama is thy name.

After a meeting, an emergency call home from a panicked Dad, and two cases of the flu in the 4’ and under set…I missed most of the show.

So, I’m phoning it in this week. We are saying goodbye to Karen Rodriguez, unless the judges decide to save her. And she is singing for her LIFE, y’all.

And they are not in complete agreement, and they are NOT going to use the save.

On the bright side, I think everyone from this season is guaranteed a record deal if they go looking for it. This is one insanely talented season.

Karen, we will miss you!!!

A bountiful, Beautiful Basket

2011-03-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

A friend clued us in to a service in our area that some of you might be interested in. It’s called Bountiful Baskets, and it’s a produce co-op. On Monday, everyone who wants produce that week goes to a website and puts in their money. On Wednesday and Thursday, buyers go to growers and buy produce. And on Saturday, the produce is delivered to a pick up point and divided into baskets by volunteers.

Our pick up point gets fruit and veg every two weeks. We have no say in what we get, but it’s always a comparable, or BETTER, price than the local grocery store. It is a set price, and the produce is as local as possible. For us, in Seattle, that means that our veg usually come from Eastern Washington and our fruit comes from California or Mexico. (Yes, Mexico is far away, but getting fruit here by truck is more “green” than flying it in from Argentina, right?)

This was last week’s haul – sweet potatoes, bananas, pineapple, apples, oranges, kale, broccoli, carrots, strawberries, a cucumber and two mangos. For less than $20.

I like it because a) it is forcing me to eat in a more local/in-season way and 2) I know how much fruit and veg I have, and I plan on using it over a two week period. My meals are a lot more produce-centric now, and it’s made meal planning a lot easier.

Oh, and bonus? We all found out that we like kale. Who’da thunk?? (It can be cooked just like any Chinese Green, steamed and topped with oyster sauce. It can also be oven roasted until crisp, and the kids gobble it up. Kale chips!)

Go here if you would like more information. (If you live in Utah, Arizona or Washington state, chances are there is a pick up point near you. The more popular pick up points have “add-ons”, like cookies, bread or specialty vegetables.)

PS – This is just for your information, and I wasn’t compensated in any way. I’ve enjoyed using this service for my family, and like that it is saving us money. We use the money that we saved on produce and put it towards higher quality meats and dairy products to use through the week.

PPS – Lo Gung returned from a business trip to Chicago the night before our produce pick up, and brought the kids presents from the Field Museum store. SJ especially likes his new dino glasses. Heh.

American Idol, Top 12

2011-03-16T22:06:00.001-07:00

Alright, y’all ready to feel old? This week, the contestants are singing something that was popular the year they were born. (Just in case you hadn’t heard yet, the youngest contestant? Is 15. Ouch.)

1. Naima Adidapo (What’s Love Got to Do With It, 1984) – She didn’t change the vocals much at all, but the instrumentals are definitely modernized. I’m not sure if she did enough this week, but I still like her.

Steven – You opened up a can of “whoop.”

Jennifer – You’re consistently pitchy, and it’s hurting you, and I’m worried about how you’ll hold up against everyone else.

Randy – You look great, but the vocals were all over the place.

2. Paul McDonald(I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues, 1984) – Everything he does looks effortless. And that’s probably because he’s wandering around the stage like my four year old. Heh. That said, I love this guy. He left the instrumentals almost entirely intact, and didn’t do too much to the vocals…other than to sing them. Which is change enough, when you’ve got a crazy unique voice like Paul does. Overall, it’s OK. I’ve never loved this song, but he did a good job of it.

Jennifer – I know you felt like you were struggling up there, but you’ve got so much soul and star quality, you really made it happen.

Randy – Some of the notes were really pitchy, especially the first half of the song. What I like, though, is that you make everything your own. You put the “Paul” on it.

Steven – You define “loose.” You have such a distinctive voice.

3. Thia Meghia (Colors of the Wind, 1995) – First off, yes. I feel old. Now, moving past that, I love that she is loosening up to the point where I can hear what the judges heard in her. I’m just in a picky mood tonight, though. She chose a –Disney- song. It was so, so boring. And a little flat in spots. Oy.

Randy – The vocals were ok, but the problem that I’m having is you’ve been singing ballads every week, and it was a little boring. Nothing unique about it. You’ve got the talent – dig a little deeper!

Steven – Was that song who you think you are? (I thought it fit with current events. ~Thia)

Jennifer – Your vibrato is throwing you off. Work on that, and push out of the box.

4. James Durbin (I’ll Be There For You, 1989) – FINALLY, something with a little pizzazz to it. And that’s really the best I can say about. Great high note, but overall a little pitchy. (An interesting side-effect of putting all the contestants into one big mansion is…they’ve all got colds. Heh.)

Steven – Do me a favor: Don’t get too poppy on me. (And Steven and James just struck a deal. If James makes it to the finale, he sings Aerosmith…and Steven will join him.)

Jennifer – You just make me happy! You’re great.

Randy – There were a couple of pitch spots, but you figured out how to make it your own. You found a way to put your high note in, but not over-do it. Very tastefully done.

5. Hayley Reinhart (I’m Your Baby Tonight, 1990) – I’m kinda sorta speechless. The beginning was really crazy, sung in this sort of bizarre mix of three or four different voices. She brought it together by the end, though.

Jennifer – You look great tonight. When I see you performing, your voice sounds great, but your body looks so tense. You look like you don’t know which way to go. Just do what comes naturally!

Randy – I’m a little confused. You do Alicia Keyes, then a country song…it feels like you don’t know who you are. The vocals were ok, some of the releases are a little….yeah. Just figure out who you are.

Steven – So, that was sweet and tough. We want to hear more of what we loved. More blues.

6. Stefano Langone (If You Don’t Know Me By Now, 1989) – Great voice on this kid, and you can see his “personality” coming through on his intro video. Heh. But, he’s doing a great job on this song. He’s making it his, and he makes me like this song a bit more. Tough break on that last note though! (He didn’t have enough breath to finish it out.)

Randy – Stefano! The best performance of the night! You slayed it.

Steven – Beautiful phrasing, man. Over the top.

Jennifer – It was a perfect, perfect song for you. Sing out, connect more.

7. Pia Toscano (Where Do Broken Hearts Go, 1988) – Killing it. Of course she is. She’s Pia. This is a great song to showcase her voice.

Steven – You are why this show is called American Idol. You took that retro song and you nailed it.

Jennifer – I was so glad to hear you do something up-tempo! Perfect every time you get up there.

Randy – Every week, you are producing amazing vocals. You are in it to win it!

8. Scottie McCreery (Can I Trust You With My Heart,1989) – Loved it. Just…loved it. This kid is Country, through and through. And he’s totally loveable.

Jennifer – You did great, keep growing, keep learning.

Randy – You did Travis Tritt proud. You are staying in your Traditional Country land, and you can stretch a little more.

Steven – You just keep knowing who you are, and you’re going to go places.

9. Karen Rodriguez (Love Will Lead You Back, 1989 ) – This girl has soul. You can just feel it in every note. She doesn’t sound like a pageant, or karaoke, or anything else. She’s just her, up on that stage, singing her heart out. And doing it up bi-lingual. I don’t think she should stop – it can’t possibly hurt her!

Randy – It started a little rough, but by the first chorus, you were on it. Better than last week.

Steven – I love when you break into your ethnic what-it-is-ness.

Jennifer – I could tell you were a little scared when you came out, but I could tell that you attacked it. Sing to your strengths, never let your weaknesses show.

10. Casey Abrams (Smells Like Teen Spirit, 1991) – Wow. First Nirvana song on Idol EVER. I’m not sure what to say about this. You know I love me some Casey, but this is kind of weird for me. He looks insane, and is a little pitchy. That said, if this song defined a generation…he just characterized that. Like a caricature, in vocal form.

Steven – You’re crazy and talented – that’s the goop that great stuff is made from.

Jennifer – Those were big shoes to fill. You got a little screechy, and I wish it had been a little more pleasant.

Randy – What I’m most impressed with you, you put art first, and then think about commerce. You are fearless, and that’s what we need!

11. Lauren (I’m the Only One, ) – A little rough on the low parts. Again, the ENTIRE house seems to have caught the plague. They might re-think their housing arrangements next year… Anyhow, she’s rocking it on the high parts, and she has got Confidence, y’all. Loads of it. Love it.

Jennifer – Very nice! You know, we can hear your voice in that song, and you made it your own. Very good job.

Randy – That was VERY nice, so have a cold every week!

Steven – Sometimes when somebody gets a strep throat or whatever, they sing better! (It’s true! It drove me nuts in college, but I had my best voice lessons when I had a cold. Oy.)

12. Jacob Lusk ( Alone, 1987) – Little rocky at the beginning. And he pulled it out in the chorus. And then he went flat. When I hear him sing, I just want to sit him down and get him some point-blank vocal lessons. He’s OBVIOUSLY got loads of talent, and soul. And passion. But it sometimes get stuck on its way out, and I understand that. Still, a good ending for the show.

Randy – Very, very nice performance. You did step out of your comfort zone. You went sharp, but you found your way right back. I loved the big notes, but I’m glad you didn’t over-power the end. Genius, dude.

Steven – Your mama may not be able to sing, but your mama gave you the moxie to sing up there.

Jennifer – I love that you give yourself to every moment of every song. So amazing.

So. So…wow. What a very lot of retro songs. Favorites tonight are: Paul, Pia, Scotty, Casey.

Least favorites: Haley, Thia.

What did you guys think tonight?

Mardi Gras Cupcakes

2011-03-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Embarking on the quest for the perfect (read: my favorite) white/yellow cake, I had to go through a recipe or two until I hit pay dirt. Luckily for my waistline, I only had to go through two recipes. This was recipe number two. The kids liked that the cupcakes were all multi-colored and crazy, but I could not figure out how the purple got down on the bottom. I put it in last, and there was hardly any in each cupcake. Somehow, it grew and took over so that it 1) was on bottom and 2) was the most dominant color.

(Oh, and the cupcakes also came out with a huge “crumb”, insanely sweet, and reminiscent of cornbread.)

Weird.

PS – Growing up, I always loved to bake. My house was full of cake eaters, so I never lacked an appreciative audience, and my father had an awesome attitude (considering he footed the bill for all my “experiments). After each attempt, no matter what I made or how it turned out, he would respond (with a twinkle in his eye), “It’s awful. You’ll have to make it again.”

And then he’d lick his plate clean.

Hail…in a Pail

2011-03-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Because we can.

We had a week of rather odd weather. It was sunny in the mornings, and the afternoons had violent mood swings. If it was sunny, it was almost guaranteed that there would be clouds five minutes later, followed by hail two minutes after that.

The funny thing about hail is…it’s not cold. You don’t even get wet! The little balls bounce right off you before they can melt, so as long as you have the correct protective gear (heh) you are good to go. I snapped these pictures while my off-spring were out cavorting in the hail.

For my kids, “proper protection” means sand buckets. On their heads. Works for me!

A Party Dedicated to Cream Cheese!

2011-03-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, really. We lovingly called The Cream Cheese Party. This past Saturday, I was the host for a House Party featuring Philadelphia Cooking Crème. The party? Was a blast. Just a few family and friends, and me going all Vanna-White on their dinner. Oh yeah, it was awesome.

Since I love to bake, and Ming Wai loves to help, cookies for the parties were an absolute must. I wanted to try out a new “wet on wet” technique, but I think I should have made sure that my colors were a little brighter. And more different from each other. Heh.

This is SJ’s “helping” pose. Notice how he’s sitting at the table eating while Ming Wai and I play. That’s how he helps!

Aunt Myrnie brought her famous Kale Chips, a favorite with adults, children…and even Kale Haters. (Toss chopped kale with olive oil and salt, and roast until crispy. Yum!)

We served a yummy breakfast casserole, a creamy teriyaki dish over rice, and pasta with broccoli and chicken.

PS – I was given coupons for free Philadelphia Cooking Crème, plus some other swag for my dinner guests, by House Party and Kraft. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.

Sunday Thoughts

2011-03-13T21:34:00.001-07:00

Well, all, it’s Sunday evening. My mind is full, and my time is short, so I thought I would just come over here and chat a few things out. Good?

On Friday evening, Lo Gung stayed with the kids and put them to bed so I could go to a choir rehearsal. The music is ambitious, to say the least, and will be grand as soon as everyone learns their notes. There is an orchestra involved. I auditioned for a solo. Afterwards, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up some supplies for a party on Saturday, and spent about 15 minutes chatting with a very polite young “tramper.” He jumps trains and hitchhikes up and down the west coast, with his dog Toby, following the warm weather. He wanted to come home with me so he could take a shower. “Ma’am, do you believe in adoption? Will you adopt me and take me home so I can have a shower?” Yeah, it sounds weird on paper, and my answer was a very polite ‘no’, but he had run across me several times in the grocery store and complimented my coat. I love that coat. I got home, and reveled in the fact that I had had a night as “me.” I used to spend all my time doing music, between my music major, university choirs, and several church choirs. It was nice to go back to that.

On Saturday, I spent all morning baking, prepping and procuring last-minute ingredients for a party on Saturday afternoon. In the afternoon, several friends came over, some with kids, and we all tried a new product I had been asked to review. I loved it. I had a house full of people, eating food that I had made, and enjoying themselves. I was surrounded by pockets of conversation and laughter. It reminded me of back in high school and college, throwing murder mystery dinners or having parties just because I wanted to make a complicated cake. It was nice to go back to that.

On Saturday evening, directly after the party, I ran off to church where I was part of Stake Conference. Our church is divided, geographically, into wards. A group of wards is then grouped into a stake. Stake Conference is held once a year and is a time for everyone to come together in one big meeting. Saturday night is for the adults, and is generally more pointedly a training session. (Sunday’s meeting focused on Christian Service, Missionary Work, Forgiveness and Repentance. Normal sermon stuff.) Anyhow, I was asked to be part of a small group of speakers talking about social media. The first, Brother Hawkins, gave a multi-media presentation on www.Mormon.org. It is a website the church has set up for people who don’t want pressure…just some questions answered. (Because, when the topic of Mormons comes up, questions are SURE to follow.) There’s an area where members of the church can set up profiles. Mine is in there. The second speaker, J. Stapley, is a very prolific blogger. He runs two large blogs with multiple contributors. I was the final speaker of the group, and gave a 10 minute presentation on how easy it is to 1) start a blog and 2) make it obvious that you are a member of a church. (It always kills me when I meet somebody who has had questions for years that somebody could have answered…if only that person had realized that so and so was Mormon. Like I said, questions follow our church like hornets on jell-o.) (And see? Now y’all are QUITE clear on the fact that I’m a Mormon. I promise this isn’t a sermon, I’m just processing all the events of the weekend. And it? Was a CHURCH FILLED weekend, y’all. Lots of church.)

I came home from the meeting totally energized, and geeking out. Before our presentations, I had a chance to chat with Brother Stapley and Brother Hawkins. (We’re all Sister X or Brother Y in our church. Heh. You can call me Sister LoLo. Some people actually do, after they find my blog…) Anyhow, during our chat I realized that we knew some of the same people. We knew the same slang and jargon (Bloggernacle, anybody?). It was amazing to have that conversation. Brother Stapley is insanely intelligent, and runs a bloggy empire. And we were having a conversation, as equals. That is energizing. It felt like a little bloggy conference, and I loved it. I loved feeling smart, and not getting blank stares when I talked about my blog. I loved being valued for something that I did, not something that I did for my kids.

On Sunday morning, it was time for a final choir rehearsal before we sang at the Sunday meeting of stake conference. And you know what? I was tired. I had a lot of fun this weekend being this or that…and by today, I was so ready to be Mom again. My babies were crazy from two nights of mom-less bed times, and were not ready to see me head out the door as soon as they got up. And so…I didn’t. I got myself dressed, got them breakfast, and then got them dressed. I totally missed the rehearsal. We all went together to the meeting an hour later, and I headed up towards the choir seats while Lo Gung took the kids off to a room where they could listen without disturbing the more reverent members of the (now HUGE) congregation. As I scooted into my seat, a man in the tenor section was laughing at me. “Hello! Did you miss the memo on the time change???! haha” He looked like a nice man, but I didn’t know him. “Haha, no, sir. I had a four year old and a two year old who couldn’t do without Mommy this morning.” Suddenly, his smile was gone and his eyes went wide. “I…I take it all back. You’re doing just fine.” And I knew that he meant it.

This is a time in my life that I will never get back. I adore my kids, and I love the stages that they are in. Ming Wai is Princess this and Fairy that. Everything is pink, purple and frilly. She loves cupcakes, and she loves helping me with any chores, so long as she can work by my side. She’s learning to tell jokes, and is just so sweet. Siu Jeun is my little Dude. He loves cars, and trucks. Last night, I snuck into his room to give him a kiss, and he stood straight up in his bed and started pacing around. “Pow! Pow! Boom!” Then he lay down and went right back to sleep. (He was either dreaming about car crashes…or The Black Eyed Peas.) I will never get this time back, and this is what I choose. Some days seem so long, but I am finally understanding that each stage in their lives is precious. I’m glad that this is where we are now, and what we are able to do.

A Little Reorganizing for Spring…

2011-03-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Every spring, I get that bug. You know – the one that makes you want to simultaneously send everything but the clothes on your back to the thrift shop…while at the same time buying all new furnishings from someplace schmancy. Like Pottery Barn.

*drool*

Like I said. Totally nonsensical.

So, I appease my inner bugs by rearranging things. These shelves used to hold an assortment of brown and tan glasses and mugs, plus a few tins full of tea. It was a cute idea – a beverage bar! – but it looked so very blah. All that tan, beige, brown and black. And nothing was EVER used.

Then one day, when my mother in law was visiting, I overheard her joking with my father in law (as she strained to pull some Chinese serving dishes down from the top shelf in my cupboard), “When we move to town, our daughter in law is going to have to put the Chinese dishes down where they can be used on a regular basis! haha.”

And I realized…I have 18 cupboards in this kitchen. Why on earth CAN’T I put things like serving dishes down where they can be reached??! (Anything to encourage my MIL to do as much cooking as possible. She’s that good, y’all. Just that good.) And so I did.

It’s silly that such a little change could make me so happy, but it’s so nice to just hop over to this set of shelves each night and pull out pretty serving dishes. And you know what they say – when mama’s happy, EVERYONE is happy.

Or something like that.

American Idol, Top 13–Results

2011-03-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

Jacob, Karen and Stefano, come on down! (Folks, the storm is still RAGING outside, and my reception is spotty, at best. If I miss anything important, forgive me!)

Jacob and Stefano, you are safe. Karen, you are in the bottom three.

And now I am crossing my fingers. Adam Lambert is, hands down, my favorite Idol contestant of all time (don’t look at me like that! He’s talented, if a bit lacking in taste). And I’m only hearing every other measure. Sad.

Oh, my friends. This is silly. This is me, cheating. (Thank you, LA, for getting the results out ASAP. It helps me out!) Our bottom three this week – Karen Rodriguez, Ashton Jones and Hayley Reinhart.

And it’s bad news for Ashton Jones. Assuming Casey Abrams can make it back next week (in the hospital, again), we’ll hear our Top 12 perform next Wednesday.

My favorite cupcakes

2011-03-10T14:51:00.001-08:00

Just popping in to say that you need these cupcakes in your life. Like, REALLY need these cupcakes in your life. I’ve been searching for a great, from-scratch, white cake recipe…and I’ve found it.

And you can get the recipe here, on my foodie mcfood blog.

You’re welcome!

American Idol, Top 13

2011-03-09T22:01:00.001-08:00

America, here’s your top 13!

Same as last week, I’m writing down my impressions as I watch American Idol tonight. If that’s interesting to you, read on. If not…well, it won’t hurt my feelings. Feel free to chime in with your impressions and opinions, too!

This week, the contestants were told to choose a song by your personal idol. They were also teamed up with top producers to put the songs together.

And…here we go!

1. Lauren Alaina (Any Man of Mine)- She doesn’t look quite as comfortable as last week. This is just a lot of words to squeeze out, you know? A little pitchy. I don’t know…she’s trying her hardest to get the audience into it, but nobody seems to be biting. (Ming Wai just walked in. “I like that girl! She’s so beautiful!)

Steven – I like that song, but I wish it’d been a little more kicky.

Jennifer – You don’t have to try. You’re that good. But we need to hear you kicking it into high gear.

Randy – I love Shania. You sang that well. But we were hoping for that girl that we first saw. You don’t even know how talented you are. We want to see you shine beyond belief. But this was good.

2. Casey Abrams (Get By With a Little Help From my Friends)- Oh my goodness, his voice just kills me. It just pours out of him like gold from a paper sack. He’s got a few spots that are a little affected…sitting on the stairs, he looked like he was shivering his head around to try and look more like the original artist. Little weird, but he (to steal the phrase) blew that one out of the box. THAT is how you do it!

Jennifer – Casey!!! You know what? I go by what I feel. At one point I grabbed Randy, and just said what am I watching right now?! Blew me away.

Randy – What Jen was watching was Idol Season 10! I’m always excited to see what you do. You make listening to you sing FUN, and I loved it.

Steven – What Randy was trying say was you are a rainbow of talent, man, and a plethora of passion.

3. Ashton Jones (When You Tell Me That You Love Me)- This is starting out a little slow for me, a little pitchy. I’m holding out hope that she belts it out on the chorus. And…there’s the end of the song. Oh, I am so disappointed. It was too high.

Randy – I was a little worried, seeing that song. It sounded like it was a little bit of a safe move, but I saw you grow, pulling yourself back onto pitch with your vibrato.

Steven – I agree with Randy. You’ve got a lot more than you’re showing us.

Jennifer – You look so elegant, and we’re seeing how professional you are. Now I want to see you start singing songs we can sing along with.

4. Paul McDonald(I Put a Smile on Your Face) – Love his voice. His dancing makes me smile, too, but for different reasons. This is interesting, because this is not a sing-along-able song…but it has something Ashton’s didn’t have. It makes you want to dance, and that makes all the difference.

Steven – I love the character in your voice, so it doesn’t matter WHO you sing. You make it yours. You were a little pitchy, though, so be careful.

Jennifer – While you were singing, I was watching the audience members…and they were smiling. There’s something about you. You DID move the crowd.

Randy – After last week’s performance, this wasn’t the most exciting thing for people, but I love who PAUL is. I get it, and I hope America gets it.

5. Pia Toscano (All By Myself) – Good on you, girl, for taking on Celine! And nailing it. Her voice gives me chills. Man, this season is PACKED with talent. I’m worried, though, that she didn’t make it enough HER OWN, you know? Then again, I don’t know the original that well. And the crowd? Goes wild.

Jennifer – We love you Pia. <speechless> You topped last week. There it is.

Randy – This has been a lot of years on this show. Mariah, Whitney, Celine are the big three. You have that quality. You HIT those notes dead on without even thinking about it. I love it.

Steven – That was the sum total of all your work. That was beautiful.

6. James Durbin (Maybe I’m Amazed)- Ok. Hrm. Yes, he’s singing this well. That said, I don’t totally see who he is through this song. The judges are all grooving, though, so maybe he’s just Classic Rock? Is that his vibe? Remind me – is this the mini Steven Tyler? And the crowd? Goes wild. Heh.

Randy – James, you are one of my favorites. I love these voices that can sing anything. You just showed that you have a sensitive side, you can do ANYTHING.

Steven – You have taken everything you ever felt, and kicked it into next week.

Jennifer – Everyone knows you have the high notes, but you also have a melodic quality. You’re everything.

7. Hayley Reinhart (Blue) – Well, this just isn’t my thing. She’s yodeling. And I’m not sure she’s doing it all that well. It’s not really an exact science, but you need to make it sound like it is. Didn’t do it for me.

Steven – Hayley, that was beautiful. I knew LeAnn way back when, when she recorded this. You did a great job.

Jennifer – I think America’s getting to know you now. You do special things with your voice, so unique.

Randy – Good: you’re diverse. Alicia Keyes to LeAnn Rimes. Bad: That was a little sleepy for me.

8. Jacob Lusk (I Believe I Can Fly) – Ok, I’m starting to sound like a total stick in the mud, but this is weird for me. His voice sounds constricted, somehow. Fake. It hasn’t sounded this way before, so I think it’s the same issue as Hayley. If you sing a song that you have been singing to yourself for 10+ years…you’re going to sing it closer to the 9 year old version of yourself than to the current version of yourself. It’s really difficult to RElearn a song you’ve sung forever. (Go ahead – try and sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and do it well. It’s tough!)

Steve – Pure passion, pure music, I can’t even judge it. You are so good.

Jennifer – Good job.

Randy – Who found this kid? Oh, right! We did! Such a unique sound, unbelievable. I’m excited every time you hit the stage!

9. Thia Meghia (Smile) – Well, Thia, my dear, you’re showing me this week why the judges are so in love with you. For the first time, I don’t look at you and think, “Oh, look at the cute 15 year old!” This is a great, great job. Still not my favorite, not exciting, but she nailed it.

Randy – I loved the intro! It got a little pitchy in spots, during the jazzy parts. But you, with a mic and an instrument, is golden to me.

Steven – I gotta agree. A little pitchy in the middle, but you’re so young, and you’ve got a great future. (Again, with the “young”! Prove you can play with the big dogs, girl.)

Jennifer – The intro reminded me of last week, and obviously that’s where your strength is. You sing like an angel.

10. Stefano Langone (Lately) – Techno (Stevie) Wonder. At least Jennifer is loving it! I don’t really have anything else to say. Not my favorite, but he didn’t make any mistakes.

Steven - You pulled it off. It built from the beginning to the end, double time in the middle, went off like a volcano in the end. Beautiful.

Jennifer – You had me dancing there for a minute! You did a dance remix, but it was really you. You sounded great.

Randy – It started off a little rocky for me, but Stevie would be PROUD of you!

11. Karen Rodriguez (I Could Fall In Love With You) – Well, Karen, you pulled out the Latina again this week (I mean, duh!), but it’s not doing it for me. This is pretty pitchy. It was ok on the high notes, though.

Jennifer – You look like a star tonight! I could tell you were a little uncomfortable on the lower and the higher end. (Turns out, Karen can’t hear her monitor speaker. Oops. that explains it a lot! Glad Jennifer said something.)

Randy – It felt like you were fighting the song. And it was a little sleepy.

Steven – The energy it took to get to the end didn’t pan out.

12. Scottie McCreery (The River) – Scottie has such an old fashioned “country” sound…nothing cross-over about this boy! And I love that about him. He’s doing a good job, but I think he’s hamming it up just a smidge. Good job, boy. Good job. And the crowd? Goes wild. Again.

Randy – That’s a great Garth Brooks song, and it just shows that this is exactly where you belong.

Steven – Scottie, you did the Garth justice.

Jennifer – (Sorry, we’re having some Weather, which means my reception is spotty. Which means I didn’t hear whatever Jennifer said, but I’m sure she loved it.)

13. Naima Adedapo (Umbrella) – (First off, I’m super excited. Second, this is smart to do something more current.) And now…well, it’s just alright. Same issue as Lauren Alaina – it’s a lot of words, and it’s pitchy. And now..wow. What did she do there?! A little rap in there? That was awesome. And now she’s crumping. Oh, she is unique alright. Now, what will the audience think? That was a risk, for sure!

Steven – You’re crazy good, and I love ya. A little pitchy, you brought flavor tonight that nobody else brought. I adore you for that.

Jennifer – I don’t care about all the pitchy, you got FIRE girl. You’re DOING it. Like stars do it. You need to work on the control. I’m glad you did what you did.

Randy – I differ a little from Jennifer. I care about the pitchy, but you’ve got to get the breath control in there. But I LOVED the whole reggae thing. Make a whole album!

(Has anyone noticed that the last contestant is usually one the producers feel sure about? Or is it just me?)

Overall, a great night. What did you think?

Call 1866 Idols (XX) to vote.

Getting To Know You

2011-03-07T22:07:00.000-08:00

Every day, I am learning more about my kids. More about their personalities, and more about what makes them tick. Both of my kids love sweets…and always have. I’m not surprised, because I never met a dessert that I was too full to at least try. There is ALWAYS room for dessert, and everything deserves a nibble.

Which is why I was so surprised the other day by Ming Wai. We had eaten dinner, and I gave both the kids a cupcake as a treat for being good. (Daddy was out of town, and the days are always super long when that happens…and very deserving of cupcakes.) She worked on it for a while while I cleared the dishes. I noticed that there were still a few pieces of broccoli in the serving dish on the table. “Honey, do you want to finish the broccoli?” “Yeah!!” The cupcake lay forgotten as she carefully fished out the cold broccoli to eat. She then asked if she could drink the “soup” (the bit of sauce-y water that had collected on the bottom of the bowl). “Umm…sure, hon.” And down the hatch it went.

She never did get back to that cupcake.

American Idol, Week One–Results!

2011-03-03T22:44:00.001-08:00

Alright, y’all. Dim the lights, and…here we go.

Scotty and Robbie, head to the middle of the stage. America has voted, and…Scotty, congratulations! Robbie, you…are headed home.

Next up, Jordan, Giovani and Clint. After America’s vote…Clint, and Jordan, you are headed home. Giovani, you are not top 10 either. Head to the stools.

Cut to commercials…and we’re back! Scottie is hanging out, solo, on the comfy “safe” couch. Now, let’s see if a few girls will join him!

Pia and Lauren Alaina, come on down! (Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please…Pia got me voting last night. I NEVER vote when there are this many contestants.) Lauren, you are in the top 10! Pia, you are also in the top 10!!!!

Ta-Tanisa and Julie, come to center stage. Ta-Tanisa, you are headed home. Julie, you are not top 5 either. To the stools with you.

A few commercials…and welcome back! (Yes, I’m live blogging. Heh.)

Kendra, Ashton and Karen, come on down. After the vote, Ashton, you have not made the top 10. The person in our top 10 is…Karen! Kendra, off to the uncomfy seats with you. (Good choice, on Karen.)

Tim, Casey, Jacob. Jacob, you are top 10! Casey and Tim, one of you is in the top 10…congratulations, Casey! (Again, I’d be ticked if he wasn’t!)

Naima, Thia and Lauren Turner! One of you is in the top 10, and two are not. Naima, you are not. Thia, you have made it to the top 10. Lauren Turner, you have not. (Folks, that is just WRONG.)

Brett and Paul. One of you is a Yes, one of you is No. Paul, congratulations! Brett, so sad. (I agree with this one. Brett, you’re fun…but not quite what I’m looking for…)

More commercials…and we’re back!

Hayley and Rachel, join Ryan Seacrest at the center of the stage. And the final girl in the top 10 is…Hayley. (Oh, Rachel, bless your heart. She’s been trying for this for YEARS. And it finally came to America’s vote…and she lasted one night. Ouch.)

Stefano and James. One more spot in the top 10 for the guys, and it goes to…James! (Stefano…welcome home to Seattle. I guess. I’ve heard you have a sort of a reputation around here. Heh.)

And there it is. Your top 10. Scotty, Lauren Alaina, Pia, Karen, Jacob, Casey, Thia, James, Hayley and Paul.

And now for the wild-cards. Six people are brought back by the judges, 3 guys, 3 girls.

Ashton is up first, and she is singing I am Telling You. (This is perfect…she totally reminds me of Jennifer Hudson.) Love the cute little touches…”And you, and you, and you, You gonna love me!”, pointing right at the three judges. Cute. Powerful performance. Definitely singing for her life!

Steven? You brought it like you brought it before.

Jennifer? I felt your passion, and know you deserve to be here.

Randy? I still LOVE the attitude.

Next – Stefano, singing I Need You Now. Interesting song..interesting technique. This is a little weird for me. It sounds like talking, somehow. Not my favorite, but he did a great job.

Randy – I love that you chose this song, and you did it justice!

Jennifer – You guys are making me more nervous than I am for my OWN performances! When you needed to come through, you came through.

Steven – You brought it. And you brought everything I love about your voice, into one song.

Kendra, you’re up. With Georgia on my Mind. Wow…this starts out SUPER low. She’s much better up higher…and that’s where she takes it. A nice high note, a great growl and a big finish. Man, I would NOT like to be in the judges’ shoes tonight!!

Randy – It started low, and you ROCKED it at the end.

(And that’s all the feedback we have time for.)

Giovani, Jennifer chooses YOU to sing next. Singing “God Sent Me an Angel” (I think. I didn’t quite catch that. Fox, can you do something about that? Like posting the song titles at the bottom of the screen, along with the contestant’s names? That would really help us bloggers out!) A great voice..adding in some Spanish (taking a note from Karen’s book??), but not quite hitting it on all cylinders. The transitions between the two languages is not as seamless as Karen’s, and the whole song feels a little rushed and Frankenstein’d.

Jennifer – You did a good job, and did all you could do!

Steven, pick our next singer. Naima! That means Julie, Lauren Turner, Rachel and Ta-Tanisa are headed home. (Noooo! I loved Lauren Turner.)

Naima, with We’re All We Know. Hrm. She is singing this so very carefully, so very thoughtfully. Each note is carefully executed. This is definitely her, but I’m not sure if it’s the right song to keep her in the competition. If she stays, it will be because the judges love her, and her style, and what she brings…because this song just doesn’t catch me. (And now that she’s done, she is sobbing. That explains part of it. Good on her for getting through it!)

Steven – Naima, you came from deep down inside, and you brought it. Good job.

(BTW – my daughter is “sleeping” on the couch, and just added, “Mommy, she’s beautiful!” So cute.)

Randy has the last pick…and it’s Robbie. And Brett runs down to give everyone a hug goodbye. Robbie, with Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word. Oh dear. Again, low and slow. Beautiful, but not sure it’s very memorable. (Oh, but Randy is grinning…I think he’s daydreaming! He looks all nostalgic and…proud. haha) Ok, Robbie you are picking this up..and I take it back. There is not one face on camera that doesn’t look like they are about to cry. Good job, dude.

Randy – Robbie, VERY nice. Very tender. This is the toughest night ever.

And now…who gets another shot? Judges, we need your decision…after the break. (Jennifer looks like she wants to throw something. Three minutes is NOT long enough to make this decision. Nearly everyone was amazing!)

And to the judges – are you ready? And…no. They’re not. So, we’ll watch Jennifer’s new music video instead!

Judges, have you got your results now? Yes. Great! Let’s go to another commercial break.

We’re back! There’s your top 10 sitting over there…and here are a few more. Randy, who is in? Ashton! Good job. (Oh, the look on her face is PRICELESS.) Jennifer, how many more? Two more. Ok, second person? Stefano. (Aw well…Stefano, Seattle will see you later, I suppose.) Steven, who is the final wild card? Ryan, I wish we could do all of them, but…Naima, you’re in. Congratulations, top 13! That gives us seven girls, and six guys.

Final roster:

Scotty McCreery – Country boy with a DEEP voice

Lauren Alaina – 16 year old country girl with FLAIR

Pia Toscano – The whole package – gorgeous face, body and voice.

Karen Rodriguez – Lots of latin SPICE.

Jacob Lusk- Big voice, big emotions. Prone to tears. Easily excited.

Casey Abrams – Looks like a lumberjack, sings like a blues bar star. Crazy on the bass.

Thia Megia – Our “young ‘un.” 15, beautiful clear voice.

James Durbin – Unique and over the top.

Hayley Reinhart – Long gold hair, needs some work on stage, BIG voice. Blue-sy.

Paul McDonald

Ashton Jones – Big hair, big voice. Makes me think of a young Beyonce.

Stefano Langone – From Kent, Wa. Which makes him our “hometown hero.” Two of my siblings went to school with him and said that his voice, and his ego*, were legendary. Confidence aplenty in this one!

Naima Adedapo – An “exotic flower.” Very Ella Fitzgerald, in tribal dress. Judges love her.

See y’all next week!

*I hesitate to publish any “behind the scenes” negativity about any of the contestants. Yes, both of my siblings confirmed that he is quite the peacock. That said, it takes a certain amount of that kind of self-confidence to go on stage, week after week, and COMPETE for America’s votes. So I don’t think his Large Ego is a trait un-shared by many of his fellow contestants.

American Idol, Week 1–Girls

2011-03-02T21:44:00.001-08:00

Again, so sorry I missed last night guys. What can I say except that I 1) don’t have a DVR and 2) didn’t have it in me to find all the performances online today, in between all today’s chores.

1) Ta-Tynisa Wilson (I’m the Only Girl in the World)- First off, I notice that the girl isn’t afraid of that stage at ALL. That said, she was pitchy…but determined, if that makes sense. The audience seems to love her, but I felt like the last half of the song was about a half step off. The judges aren’t saying anything, so maybe that was just me.

Steven – You did great.

Jennifer – Way to start out the show.

Randy – You look hot, but there are pitch issues. I didn’t quite get it. It was just ok.

2) Naima Adedapo (Summertime) - Looking good in a self-designed dress. And her singing…I’m speechless. She has such a perfectly blue-sy, jazzy voice. Because of the genre, though, I’m a little worried she’ll come off as lounge-y. That said, she got a standing O from the crowd, and her fellow contestants. This girl hit it right on the head!

Jennifer – You look like an exotic flower, and you nailed it!

Randy – I enjoyed the second more than the first half, and you NAILED the last note.

Steven – You sound like early Ella Fitzgerald. I love you a lot, and I like ya a lot.

3) Kendra Chantelle (Impossible) – A great blue-sy rendition, and she looks great. Confident. Are there any bad eggs this year?!

Randy – I loved that vibrato, reminds me of Lauren Hill. A few notes were sharp, but I liked it.

Steven – I always look forward to listening to what you can do to a song. Beautiful.

Jennifer – You fought your way into this top 12, and you belong here. There is MORE in you, and I hope you let everyone see that.

4)Rachel Zevita (I’ve Been a Bad Bad Girl) - Oh, Rachel. If I don’t look at the screen…this is ok. You are sassy from the shoulders down. Your face looks terrified…and unfortunately, your voice comes out of your face. I don’t know what it is…the whole song is just so low. That said, she NAILED the end…which is the most important part of the song, as everybody knows!

Randy- It wasn’t great. It just didn’t work.

Steven – I loved your strut, loves your moves. A little too Broadway for me, but that could be your niche!

Jennifer – This is the first time America gets to see you. Do you want them to see you as a Broadway performer, or do you want them to see you as a recording artist now. I wish we would have seen a little more of you tonight.

5) Karen Rodriguez (Hero) – Well, I would say this girl is playing to her niche! She wants to bring the Latina to the competition…and she sings to the Latinas (and Latinos!) in their language. Possibly a very smart move…but it can get messy. She’s switching back and forth, but doing both very well. (But I have to say something about her outfit…she looks, to my eyes, like 40 year old Soap Opera star. Am I right??)

Randy- I like that you figured out a way to make it you. I thought the Spanish was better than the English!

Steven- A one of a kind sound, and you should get together with Jacob Lusk over there! Fantastic.

Jennifer- Wow. Wow. WowWowWow. That says it all. I love that you changed from English to Spanish and showed who you are and what your flavor is.

6)Lauren Turner (Seven Day Fool)- Great voice…confident on this stage. Man, watching this just makes me happy. She’s NAILING this. A little help with the wardrobe will help, though. The hair, chunky platform shoes and huge belt are making the look weird for me.

Randy- Yo. Listen – THAT’S HOW YOU DO IT, MAN. I love the whole power, I love the whole blue-sy, soul-sy thing in you.

Steven- Lauren, that was spectacular. Everyone reacted, that was great. Good job.

Jennifer- Obviously, your voice is undeniable. But what I need from you is to GIVE it to me. Get in the face of that camera, and let loose.

7) Ashton Jones ( Love Over on Me)– That was just alright for me. It lacked some sparkle, somehow. Confident, though.

Randy- I like you. You’ve got a great stage presence.

Steven- Confidence of a queen!

Jennifer- You have all the makings of a diva! Your confidence is breath-taking.

8) Julie Zorrilla (Breakaway) – Oh, I want to love this. Out of everyone, she LOOKS like a winner, you know? If we were casting a Disney movie, she’d be the diamond in the rough. But this song? Rough. Pitchy, no strong melody…oh painful. So sad!

Randy- You didn’t sing it as well as Kelly Clarkson. You want to show yourself in the best light! You need to figure out what will make you special and stand out.

Steven- Great chorus, but the wrong song for you. If you’d taken it up a couple of keys, it would have been better. (I agree!! The song just felt like it wasn’t sitting in her voice right.)

Jennifer- I liked it, but I didn’t feel it was the best I’ve seen from you. It didn’t feel like it was from the heart. (Bless her heart for offering HELPFUL criticism, instead of just saying, “I didn’t like it.”)

9) Haley Reinhart (In and Out of Love) – This is a little weird for me. Kind of like…Alicia Keys meets Brittney Spears? A little too cute-sy. But, despite all that, she’s singing it well…it’s just in a style that I don’t totally get. So, I would say she sang well…but the performance was a little young. Make sense? Old voice, young stage presence.

Randy- We loved your husky tone…but this was more like karaoke.

Steven- Just the right amount of style, just the right amount of sexy.

Jennifer- We saw a lot of different colors in your voice – the growl, the playing. You need to get out of your head. Stop thinking about where you’re going to walk and just sing!

10) Thia Megia (On My Own) – Some really pretty spots, and some pitchy spots, lots of quiet spots…this is not good, for me. Mostly underwhelming.

Randy- The mark of a great singer, is the quality of the tone of the voice. Your tone reminds me of Michael Jackson. Your voice is infectious. This is what hot singing is about.

Steven- Your pitch is so perfect, it doesn’t matter what you sing. Good job. (Wha..?!)

Jennifer- A quiet, beautiful moment. Captivating.

(Obviously, the judges and I don’t agree on everything.)

11) Lauren Alaina (Hear Me On the Radio) – Oh, this is a country girl if ever I heard one. I am loving this! If Thia needs to prove she’s not 15…it means everyone is still thinking it. Nobody will ever talk about how young Lauren is, because there is nothing in her performance that screams “I might not be able to do this.” That was A.Ma.Zing.

Randy- You have a natural gift – you can sing anything. I don’t even think you know how good you are. You remind me of Kelly Clarkson meets Kerry.

Steven- You killed me. Your voice goes from here to there, and we haven’t seen the best of you yet!

Jennifer- My little Lauren! You look so beautiful! You don’t even have to try. The voice is just so effortless. It’s amazing how much of a natural you are. Amazing. (My words exactly!)

12)Pia Toscano (Come to Me) – Oh, first off *phew*! I mixed her up with Julie Zorilla, from earlier tonight. Pia is one of my favorites…and I thought Julie was her…and that she’d botched it up…and…yeah. Anyhow. This is a great performance! She is singing the song well, but I’m afraid she’s not differentiating herself. Who is she as an artist? Will she sing the ballads and the pop hits like Christina? (Oh, and the last note…was a little flat. Impressive, but flat. Ouch.) (Sorry – I just tell it how I hear it!)

Randy- Yo. This is our first standing ovation of our new season (really??! I saw a few others tonight..) You just put yourself in the TOP with the amazing performers from previous seasons.

Steven- Congrats. Beautiful.

Jennifer- I knew you were a standout, but you’re TRICKY! You were saving THAT for when it counts.

To vote, call 1 866 436-57xx (insert contestant number here).

Favorites of the night – Pia, Karen, Lauren & Lauren A.

Going home – Julie, Thia

What say ye?

American Idol, the guys

2011-03-01T22:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, so color me stupid now...but it's Tuesday. And I forgot that Tuesday means Idol. Oops. Bad blogger!

That said, head over here to get your daily dose of opinions. I like Boo Mama, and she does a great job of laying out the standouts and the wall-flowers.

So. Head over to Boo Mama's place to see what all the fuss is about...and (theoretically) I'll get the kids in bed in time to watch Idol tomorrow. Here's hoping!

And the Rain Came Tumbling Down.

2011-02-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

So, sometime after the last snowstorm(Thanksgiving) and before the most recent one (last Wednesday), we took my in-laws out to see our local Niagara (ours is called Snoqualmie). I have been there half a dozen times in my life…but I’d never been there in February.

First off – BRR. If you’ve never been to a waterfall, while it’s raining, you’re in for a treat. The rain falls down from the sky, and the wind blows the spray from the waterfall straight up. Basically, the only thing dry was the tops of our heads.

Ok, so Siu Jeun doesn’t subscribe to the whole Keep the Weather Off Me idea. He was pretty much just wet.

Abso-bloomin-ootly amazing.

And…the rain came a tumblin’ down.

Heh.

PS – I know at least one of my good friends has some fantastic news this week (regarding a new addition to their family – the best kind of news!)…and I’m sure a lot of my other friends have great things coming up, that I don’t know about. So, if you have some great news…consider yourself congratulated. *hugs*

American Idol Contestants, Pt. 2 (Final List)

2011-02-24T22:04:00.001-08:00

So, to recap, from last night:

Girls:

1. Naima Adedapo

2. Haley Reinhard

3. Ashton Jones

Boys:

1.Clint Gamboa

2. Paul McDonald

Now, let’s fill out this list!

WOMEN

Naima Adedapo (announced last night)
Lauren Alaina. Well, I can say this one has a personality. Great big ol’ country voice…and she showed up to Final Judgement in a Barbie Cowgirl outfit. Complete with pink rhinestone boots. (If you can believe the video footage, she wore black during the rest of the competition. So…this is quite an outfit!)
Kendra Chantelle. Gorgeous, soulful voice. (What is with all these soulful voices??)
Ashthon Jones (announced last night)
Thia Megia, Tiny little thing with a big voice. At just 15, she’s going in against the big dogs. She still looks scared, though…and I’m not sure how far she will make it.
Haley Reinhart (announced last night)
Karen Rodriguez (Oops. They announced her while I was putting the kids to bed. Drat you, bedtime!)
Pia Toscano. Gorgeous girl. She looks familiar somehow. I don’t know too much more about her!
Lauren Turner. Looking for a way to end her glamorous career as a House Cleaner. Gorgeous, huge head of curly hair. Great big, soulful voice.
Tatynisa Wilson (Again. Bedtime.)
Rachel Zevita. She’s been trying for this for years, since season six. She’s got a unique sense of fashion
Julie Zorilla. This girl was a shoe-in for the top 24. She can sing, she can play, she’s adorable, and she’s got a great back-story (her parents fled their homeland to give their two children a better life).

MEN

Casey Abrams. Boy can SCAT. He has an incredible range of instrumental talent, and an even wider range of performing “hats.” A true Blues Boy.
Jovany Barreto. Great high voice, POWERFUL. Latin. After securing his golden ticket during auditions, he ripped off his shirt and showed off his awesome abs. But he wants to make sure that America knows he showed off AFTER he had shown he could sing. Heh. Moving on.
Jordan Dorsey. This guy is tricksy. During the Group Round, he held auditions with other contestants, to see who would mix with his style. On the one hand, it’s smart – he didn’t end up with great people with voices that don’t mesh with his. On the other…he held auditions. Who does that? (I would. Heh. He reminds me of me…)
James Durbin. A few of his notes remind me of Adam Lambert, which is a compliment! Huge range. He has Turret's and Asperger's Syndrome. And since they brought it up…that makes him a poster child, for better or for worse.
Clint Jun Gamboa (announced last night)
Tim Halperin (Seriously?! How many did I miss???!)
Stefano Langone. He’s the closest we’re going to come to a Hometown Hero this season, here in Seattle. He’s a survivor who defied the odds and the experts by making a complete recovery when doctors said injuries would prevent him from walking again. Gorgeous tenor voice.
Brett Loewenstern. Carrot top. If you wanted to pick him out of a line-up…just look for the huge head of red. Interesting voice, and a big heart.
Jacob Lusk. Steven Tyler-esque falsetto. Emotional. Larger than life. Prone to tears when excited. (Great voice, but not a house favorite here in Casa LoLo.)
Scotty McCreery. The little man with the low voice. Like…we’re talking Darth Vader low. Can’t wait to see him during Rock Week!
Paul McDonald (announced last night)
Robbie Rosen (And…missed this one, too.)

And that…is your top 24, America. What do you think? Who are your favorites? Guys are up on Tuesday, girls next Wednesday, results on Thursday. Looks like I’d better get my act together and put the kids to bed on time, yeah? Good thing Ming Wai can’t read a clock yet…

American Idol, Contestants Announced!

2011-02-23T22:06:00.001-08:00

Partially.

First up…Naima Adedapo. From cleaning toilets and mothering two little ones by herself…to a contestant on American Idol. I love her style, but don’t feel like she’s the strongest singer out there.

Clint Gamboa. The slightly annoying kid with the great voice that kicked the crowd favorite, JC, out of his group early on in the competition.

Haley Reinhard. Great big huge voice. And a major thing for short, bell-shaped skirts. She’s from Milwaukee, auditioned last year, and didn’t make it through. Hooray for second tries, right?

Paul McDonald. Sweet voice, really distinctive. Definitely one of my favorites. Quirky is a good way to describe him..but chill.

Ashton Jones. You’ll know her by her hair…unless she blows it out, of course. But, au naturale, her hair is gorgeous and reminiscent of a pyramid. Her face reminds me of Beyonce (which is probably because of her solo this week).

And now…the toughest part of the night. Chris Medina is up for judgment…and he didn’t make it. His fiancée was paralyzed by an accident, and he sings for her. And telling him that he didn’t make it through just about broke J-Lo’s heart. “I don’t want to do this anymore.” And fade to black. We’ll find out tomorrow if she comes back (I’m sure she will) and who will round out the top 24.

I know I blogged a little about American Idol a few weeks back…and then I stopped. I just didn’t have enough to say about SO many contestants, and home life has been a bit busier lately. But, I hope to keep you up to date from here out!

Oh, and one more thing? I’m really missing my DVR right now. Heh. THAT would help a lot!

Testing. Again.

2011-02-18T16:57:00.001-08:00

Can you see me now?

A New Beast in the House

2011-02-18T09:53:00.001-08:00

No, not that one. Although, there are times….

No, I’m talking about this kind of beast.

It is big, it is blue, and it can fit my entire brood, plus my in-laws. Very handy when they’re in town! We took our “maiden voyage” up to British Colombia while my in-laws were here, and I have to say…I was one happy mama!

If you need to find me, I’ll be the crazy lady in the huge car in the Costco parking lot that doesn’t know how to park. Yes, I’ve turned into one of THOSE moms. *sigh*

Have a great weekend, y’all!

A Little More LoLo New Year

2011-02-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

thumbprint “cherry blossoms”

Wishes for a sweet New Year – lai si candy, candied winter melon (tong dung gwa), candied lotus seeds (tong lin ji), peanut cookies (min fan gok) and candied lotus root (tong lin yau)

Handmade “cherry blossoms”

My New Years princess

Noodles for longevity

Happy New Year, y’all. Chinese New Year is a 15 day-long celebration, with each day carrying its own traditions. Leaving us today….February 17. Hope it’s been great, y’all.

All the LoLo’s are in da House!

2011-02-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Before my in-laws headed home from their month-long stay with us, we decided to try to snap a few family shots. This was our test run. Apparently, Siu Jeun was running fuzzy that day.

The best shot of the day. At least we’re not too fuzzy…

Ming Wai was so desperate to catch a shot of them leaving for the airport, but her camera just didn’t have the juice to get a shot. I snapped this for her. Bye bye, Ma Ma and Yeh Yeh. Until next time!

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies?

2011-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Or, as I like to call them - The Cookies that Got Lo Gung to Enjoy Rhubarb. (It's true!)

Head over to Chow Review for the write up. Yum.....

A Very LoLo New Year to You!

2011-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry to tease y’all with that test post. I’ve been having some issues with Windows Live Writer, and tonight I uninstalled, and re-installed, the program. Success! Add to that a house full of LoLo’s for the past few weeks, and you’ve got a very lonely blog.

SURPRISE! I’m back.

In case you missed it, last Thursday was Chinese New Year. Earlier that week, my sister Myrnie and I put together a little party for the little ones.

A few paper decorations for the Casa.

Some finger painting. For the older kids, I painted black “twigs” onto their paper, and they added thumbprint “blossoms.”

While the kids were working, they had a special visitor. Some of the kids were more excited to see him than others…

MaMa fed him choi (greens) and he, in turn, went around the room wishing everybody a happy new year.

And doling out kisses. *MWAH*

After that, we changed into our “party clothes”, and it was time! to! go! outside! Obviously, my oldest niece (Ernie) and Siu Jeun were pretty excited. (Oh, and please give a big warm welcome to Siu Jeun’s “muh muh” and “un yun.” Yes, he named them himself. We are so proud. MuMu and Onion are a necessary part of life around here.)

Ming Wai was rather disappointed when she realized that her mother had a dress….and she had pants. Not even the addition of “puppy” to our family picture could get a smile out of her. (The dress, by the way, was my “Chinese” wedding dress. This was my first time wearing it in over 5 years. I’m telling you, the sigh of RELIEF when I realized it still zipped was audible all through my house! My mother in law was concerned. She thought I had fainted or stepped on a spider or something else equally traumatic.)

However, a pile of compliments, a hug and some tickles will go a long way towards coaxing a giggle from our little Princess!

Wishing you all a very prosperous New Year! (And a big thank you to Aunt Myrnie, who took all these pictures. *mwah*)

Sorry–another test!

2011-02-07T22:05:00.001-08:00

Still trying to work out the bugs. Thanks!

The Problem with Jewelry

2011-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Jewelry is a funny thing, right? I mean you get it, and you’re all happy. You wear it around, show it off…you get a little rush.

But then…that rush starts to fade. What was once your most treasured bauble becomes just commonplace. Everyone has seen it, nobody is impressed…and you’re feeling a little blue.

Then, the unthinkable happens. It’s gone. And you. want. it. back.

Mmm…delicious, Mommy! Mommy, it’s all gone. Can I have another one?

……

What do you mean, there aren’t any more??!

Life’s just not fair, kid. Especially where jewelry is involved. And candy.

Actually, especially where candy is involved. Remember that. It will serve you well in a few years.

Sincerely,
Your (mean) Mama

PS – Yes, I’m awful for taking, and posting those pictures…but I want to save them for posterity! SJ’s temper tantrums are short-lived, but quite animated. We’re talking 2-3 minutes of fist pounding, face smacking, floor stomping crying. And then? He’s done. You’ve just got to get through those three minutes without giving in…

PPS – Did you see what I did there? His was blue…and now he feels bl….oh, never mind.

Testing, 2

2011-01-31T15:11:00.001-08:00

Testing Windows Live Writer, with images

Test

2011-01-31T15:10:00.001-08:00

Testing Windows Live Writer, text only

Posting on Chow Review: Pig Tongues!

2011-01-31T07:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, really. Yes, they're delicious. Yes, you'll just have to go and see for yourself. Bon apetit!

MaMa Means Fun!

2011-01-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Before my mother in law, Mama, showed up last Wednesday, it had been a year since my kids had seen her. Far too long!! So, when we picked her up from the airport and got her back to the house, I just had to document the occasion. The kids were especially excited to show off their “new house”, and their rooms. That evening, we exchanged Christmas gifts. She read my children perfectly: each got some new clothes, and piles of candy. Excellent.

Posting at LoLoCraft today!

2011-01-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

We exchanged Christmas gifts with MaMa...wanna see?

Girlfriends. I Has Them.

2011-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

So, there are these girls. We like to call then Aunt JennyBean and Auntie CupCake. (No, really. We do. It makes us giggle.) Anyhow, now that I’m back in my old stomping grounds, we’ve decided that not doing monthly get-togethers isn’t really an option. I’ve known JennyBean since I was in the sixth grade, and met CupCake when I was a freshman in high school. I attended my ten-year high school reunion last summer. You do the math. Heh.

Love these girls! It just blows my mind that we can still get together and be just the same. In our friendship, there has always been laughter, stories, and chocolate. Usually at the same time. Over a decade later…nothing’s changed much.

Anyhow, want to see how we spent our last get-together? I’ll keep this short and sweet.

First we…

Then we…

The end.

Sometimes, I love being a girl…. (I also adored that cake. So much that I got the recipe and made it myself the next week. Umm…yeah. It was still amazing.)

You Know You Want Some…

2011-01-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

You know those days when you just feel bleh? Your skin is breaking out, you bit your cheek during breakfast because your mouth is somehow swollen, and your husband mentioned (ever so kindly) that your breath is a little more off than normal? Yeah. In China, they call that yiht hei. It comes from eating too many rich foods, like chocolate cake…hamburgers…and everything else on my comfort food list.

So, if you’d like to learn how to combat the evil effects of over-indulgence (heh), then pop on over to the Chow Review today and learn how to make some Ching Bo Leung with me!
Hint: You won’t be able to pronounce most of the ingredients…but that just makes it more fun, right??!

American Idol, Auditions (New Orleans)

2011-01-20T21:06:00.001-08:00

Ok, I’m not sure how far we’re going to get with this whole “blogging the auditions” idea. New Orleans seems to have even more “fun flavor” than New York, which really surprises me. (And last night? My mother in law got bored and walked out mid-show to go to sleep. Heh.)

Love that little 15 year old kids’ voice. JC? His voice is like caramel. Gorgeous!

Paris? Your voice was amazing. Just gorgeous.

Just one hour tonight…and I tuned in late. Whatchagonnado?

Next week, we’re off to Milwaukie, Wisconsin. Wow. That was unexpected.

This is LoLo, signing in…and signing out. Maybe I’ll get more for you next week.

American Idol, Auditions

2011-01-19T22:42:00.001-08:00

It’s back, y’all.

Dawg.

And a Yo, Yo, Yo for good measure.

American Idol is one of the only things my husband and I can both agree on as a pastime, so I was more than a little excited when I realized it was BACK tonight. (Yeah, I have issues keeping current on…current issues. Heh.)

Anyhow, I’ll be here, every week, with a re-cap and some opinions. Tonight is just auditions, so…my opinions will be rather vague. And short. If you have opinions too, please chime in!

So. New Jersey. You came through with the weird, I’ll give you that. You had some really great singers, some pretty bad singers, and no real drama. You’re good in my book.

What did you guys think?

Posting on Chow Review Today

2011-01-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

When life gives you extra baked potatoes...make soup.

(I posted over at Chow Review today with a yummy Baked Potato Soup recipe. See you over there!)

Love,
Aunt LoLo

PS - My mother in law is flying in...as we speak! She'll be here through Chinese New Year, so posting might be a little sparse for the next few weeks. I will try to pop in and give you some ideas for celebrating Chinese New Year, though.

Toodles!

Wanna See a Bench?

2011-01-18T08:40:00.001-08:00

Go on. You know you want to see more. I. Made. That.

Heh. You’re totally impressed, right?

(Posted today at LoLo Craft.)

Siu Jeun the Mechanically Minded Man Child

2011-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

(I apologize in advance for the very yellowness of the photos today. We were experiencing a very Pacific Northwest-ish sort of day in the Pacific Northwest. Meaning…the sky was grey, the light was dim, and there was a slow, cold drizzle outside. Why did days like that seem so much more romantic when I was a kid? Perfect for curling up with a book and a plate of cookies. Hrm.)
A few days ago, I was thinking about our neighbors. We have lots of really, really great neighbors. None of them are close friends with my children, though. They all seem to be just a little older, or just a little shy, or just a little busy…or just something. As I was pondering this dilemma, wondering what the next few years would look like for us on this street…my doorbell rang. It was my neighbor, MK. We share a driveway, and her children have induced a sort of hero-worship in my children. Their son, who is 5, will forever be known as Mickey Mouse. I’m not sure why…but that is now his name.

Mickey Mouse’s mother has a fabulous, generous, beautiful practice with her children. Whenever a holiday crops up that will undoubtedly result in more! toys!, she and her children go through their current stock, and cull out the ones that they have outgrown. These are boxed up and donated to either their nursery at church, or the local Goodwill.

Until recently.

They have found a new recipient. See, Mickey Mouse realized that he would have a better chance of getting what he really wanted for the holidays if he volunteered to donate his current version of the toy. So if he, for example, wanted a huge Hot Wheels racing track that could simultaneously race 15 cars and sing patriotic songs while doing so…well, he would have to find someone that might want his older, smaller track.

Heh. Well. That was easy!

As it turns out…Siu Jeun is really good at things mechanical. After raising Ming Wai for four years, it’s kind of spooky!

The car goes in…up…around…push this button…twist this lever…and ZOOM!

And can we have a moment of silence for those grubby, chubby little dude hands?

******

Thank you. I love those hands…almost as much as I adore his stinky little bear feet.

This toy is never put away…and, at $1 a piece, Hot Wheel cars are the perfect new bribe. I see some potty training in my future…and a lot more Hot Wheel cars! (Then again…Ming Wai was potty trained in four days. I hear boys take longer? Maybe I should pick a less expensive incentive. Like…toothpicks and marshmallows? )

And…may I point out my son’s attire? I would like to predict, for the record, that he will be one of Those Boys. If given a choice, he would wear basketball shorts every day of the week, in all sorts of weather. Why?! Aren’t sweats cozier?? I may never understand the male brain…but I do know that I need to figure out how to keep him stocked up with basketball shorts…or figure out how to make them!
Signed,
Aunt LoLo
PS – I posted a recipe for my super special “Uber Charged Chili” over at Chow Review today. It involves tofu. And squash. And it’s kind of crazy, but the kids ate it, and both liked it! So, maybe yours will too?

Posting at LoLo Craft Today!

2011-01-14T07:15:00.000-08:00

Come on…you know you want to know how to make this thing! (It’s a door stop. Can’t you tell??!)

Thoughts on the Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

2011-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Please know, I haven’t read this book yet. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go here to see an excerpt. The book goes on sale on 1/11/2011) I plan to read it as soon as I can, and see what all the fuss is about. (How can there be fuss before the book ever comes out? Not sure.)

Does anyone have any thoughts to share? Has anyone read the book yet? Or read the Wall Street Journal excerpt?

I read the WSJ article yesterday, and was actually really excited. Yes, the lady sounds like a nut job – she threatened to throw her daughter’s dollhouse away, piece by piece, until the song the girl was practicing was perfect. But Mom, you’re not walking out the door yet. You won’t do it. ‘Then’, she said ‘I will burn all of your stuffed animals.’ The girl knew that her mother wasn’t about to start destroying her property The mother called her names, used guilt, fear, anything she could think of. And in the end? The girl, out of the blue, got the piece perfectly…and they both were THRILLED. Her mother believed she could do it, and simply didn’t let up until she was proved right.

I certainly don’t think I could ever ascribe to the Genuine Authentic Chinese Mother method spelled out by Miss Chua…but I think there are some things I can take from her model to use with my kids. I desperately want Ming Wai to develop self confidence…I want her to have a lot more than I have, that’s for sure! I want her to know that, if she tries hard enough, there are not many things that she canNOT do.

Sunday night, after reading the article, I put some theories to the test. I started very small – a Chinese phrase. It’s one that Ming Wai has known the words for forever. Two very simple words. I just wanted her to figure out how to put them together and phrase it into a request. We were at my sister’s house, so I took her into another room and told her I would not give her what she wanted until she asked me in Chinese. Mommy, help. No, I said. Say it in Chinese. Then I sat back. And waited. She giggled. Mommy, I don’t know how. “中文 (Chinese)” I told her.

Mommy, 幫. (Mommy, help.)

“No.” I pointed again to the thing I wanted her to name. “What. Is. This.”

Finally, she got it. “Great! Now (holding up the second object) what is this?” She answered that one right away.

Then she phrased it into a request.

Then I gave her what she had asked for ten minutes before, along with a huge hug. “I knew you could do it!!!” She was all smiles.

I think that is the trick. What I gathered from the article that I read was that Chua expected excellence from her daughters…and worked with them until she got it. She was not in the kitchen, working on another project, and yelling across the house. She was sitting next to her daughter, endlessly drilling and demonstrating. And when the girl finally got it right (which has to happen eventually, right?), OH how the praise would flow. That is where Chua believes that children get confidence from: achieving a goal that they believed to be impossible.

In the case of the piano lesson, and the endless threats of the destruction of beloved toys, the girl, without even seeming to try any harder than the 14 dozen times she had tried before, she suddenly got the section of the song right. She glanced at her mother. She played it again. And again. Mom, this is so easy now! And it was. It was easy then, because she had mastered it. And then the praise flowed. Giggling, ‘proud of you’ type praise. Genuine celebrating.

As she said, not many things are fun until you are good at them.

Now, I don’t expect that I will begin to call my daughter names or threaten to burn her stuffed animals if she doesn’t perform as expected on a piano piece. I do expect, though, that I will consciously push my children a little harder. Keep at it a little longer. Sit still a little more, and use the age old technique of Drilling. Ming Wai is the type of girl to sit back, say “I just can’t do it” and leave it at that. But there will be things in life where that simply won’t be acceptable. I will not accept that she can’t speak Chinese. She CAN. Her white mother learned it in 12 weeks without ever hearing a syllable of Cantonese before. I will not accept that she cannot finish her school work. She CAN. It’s not impossible. It might be difficult, and certain subjects may take more (or a LOT more) work than others. And I guess that’s what I’m there for. And if I want, for them, the kind of skills that they will need to succeed in school…then I may just have to accept the fact that their “homework time”, at least for the first few years, might be just as much mine as theirs. I cannot sit my first grader down and expect them to understand everything by themselves. At least, I don’t see that happening with Ming Wai. I am a piano teacher – worksheets and I are no strangers!

I am really interested in seeing what others have to say on this topic. If not on this specific book, then just general thoughts on pushing kids, expectations for kids, and routines and methods for schoolwork. I remember being, generally, left alone to do my schoolwork. At times, there were some very late nights, as I put things off and couldn’t seem to get settled until after dinner to do any really big projects. It’s not that that’s a BAD way to do things…but I don’t see Ming Wai as being particularly successful with that model of studying.

(And yes, I’m not talking about Siu Jeun much here because…well, right now he’d just as soon throw a pencil as learn to use it for anything else. He’s 2, and will bring challenges all his own! Ming Wai is in her second year of pre-school, both years at home, and teaching her is STILL a blood-boiling challenge if she feels that she “can’t do it”. Heh. We know how to push each others buttons.)

Share your thoughts, y’all! I will respond to comments IN THE COMMENTS, so please be sure to check back or click the box to receive follow-up comments in your e-mail box.

CSN Gift Card Winner!

2011-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love hosting giveaways…especially for gift cards! It’s so much easier to send an e-mail off to the winner, instead of rounding up the kidlets and heading off to the post office. Am I right?!

Random.org has spoken. I fed him a few numbers (1 and 50!) and out popped…12.

Congratulations, Shanna, from Mommy of One! You have until Wednesday to get back to me.

Thanks, everyone, for playing along!

PS – If you like CSN stores, and didn’t win, head over and make sure you set up an account. I get several e-mails a week detailing the latest sales and coupons. There are always some really great deals!

PPS – If you are interested in hosting a review or giveaway for CSN stores, please let me know and I will hook you up with the woman I’ve been working with for the past few months. She’s fabulous!