This Week: December 13, 2013

On Sunday, after church, the kids and I put together a gingerbread house kit, from Costco. And when I say "the kids and I", I mean that I really wanted to build a gingerbread house kit, and I let the kids put the candy exactly where I told them to. Because I'm nice like that. I did, however, give them free reign over the gingerbread men - I put the frosting exactly where they told me to. Again - nice. 

After the excitement of the gingerbread houses, Lo Gung and I went back to church to perform a 30 minute duet/solo set as entertainment/background music during a Nativity Festival. (Our entire building is transformed. There is a room dedicated to the life of Christ, another with activities for children, another showing Christmas movies, another full of nativities that children would like to look at, and the gym was home to 522 nativities from around the world, displayed with dozens of fake Christmas trees and almost as many poinsettias. Absolutely stupendous.) Our 30 minute set was followed by another 30 minute set, with my siblings and their girlfriends/housemates/spouses. It was glorious.  I absolutely love singing with my brothers and sisters!

(Nana W with Ernie, MiMi, Cocoa, and my little Ming Wai as the angel. D'aww. This was taken in the room at the festival that was full of costumes and a professional photographer.) 

On Monday, the doorbell rang during dinner. It was the cousins, and Nana! They were on their want to Great Grandma and Grandpa W's house for family night, and had some extra cupcakes. That looked like reindeer. Because that's how the W family rolls. (My sister and her husband were away this week, celebrating their anniversary, in Hawaii. Nana flew in to take care of the kids, and as near as I can tell, everyone involved was in paradise all week.) Oh, and Lo Gung flew to Reno for a business trip. It was 6 degrees. He wasn't in paradise. 

On Tuesday, I worked on a super secret project (ssshhhh) and forgot that I had a haircutting appointment. But my hairdresser called me, and I was meeting her at a house two minutes from here, so all was good. Kind of love my new cut! 

On Wednesday, Lo Gung came home, and he had Lego sets for the kids. Because he always stays at a hotel that is about 5 minutes from Target when he goes to Reno, and there's nothing to do in Reno besides wander Target...so. Legos. 

On Thursday...oh, Thursday. Thursday, I decided that that was the day I was going to try out a new recipe for bread dough. See, I've been trying for nearly two years to recreate the fluffy, sweet rolls you can get in Hong Kong style bakeries. I could get the fillings, but the dough portion escaped me. Then I found a little blog post about the "tong jung" method - basically, you cook a roux of water and flour until it is thick, cool it down, and mix that into your bread dough. The super-saturated flour acts as a perfect dough enhancer, and gives you awesome fluffy, stretchy dough. Gorgeous. I finally made some yummy buns! Thanks to...old fashioned school paste. 

Thursday night was the Christmas Recital for my little piano studio. 13 students, age 4-14. They all played beautifully, and I couldn't be more proud of them. It takes some serious guts to get up in front of 50 people you may or may not know and play the piano for them. We always wrap up with a potluck style treat buffet, so it's pretty much a win-win for everyone. 

We interrupt this journaling attempt with some gratuitous photos of my cute baby. She gets into everything, and I take pictures of her instead of stopping her. I'm awesome like that. 

Moving on. 

Friday. On Friday, my middle child turned 5. When I asked him how he felt, being 5 and all, he said, "I feel great! I feel like I am...finally free of 4!" 

Me too, buddy, me too. 

We kicked off the day with "just one present, Daddy!" (who worked from home today). That present just happened to be the video game that he and Daddy have been drooling over since Thanksgiving. So, of course, 45 minutes later when it was time to leave to get SJ to his annual doctor's checkup on time, he was still sitting on the floor, moving his Skylander from one obstacle to the next. Good thing he's such a good sport in the morning! I stripped his clothes off him, shoved him into some sweats, put one of yesterday's buns into his hand, and shooed him off to the car. And we were off! It was a busy day. Exam for SJ (perfect bill of health!), Kindergarten vaccines administered (two in each arm- yowch!). Ying Ying got her second dose of the flu vaccine, which she didn't love, but both kids were total troopers. After that, it was off to Walmart for birthday party supplies, and then a well-earned trip to the Children's Museum. From there, it was a Happy Meal from the drive-thru, and home to give the baby a nap. I made a second batch of buns (coconut buns this time - YUM), and SJ's birthday cake. At 3:30, Ming Wai was home and the cousins came over for a birthday party. They decorated paper sacks, then filled them with candy and the cheap little party favors that make a kids party...a kid's party. We went with an Avengers Theme. It was awesome. The kids played, we ate some cake, and then it was time to head out for dinner! Toys Cafe was the birthday boy's choice - he needed him some seaweed salad and "slurpy noodles" (chou min, or house-made udon noodles, in broth). After dinner, we took our traditional Birthday Kid Trip to Toys R' Us so the birthday child can spend the $3 gift card they all receive from the store for their birthdays. This year, SJ chose a small Lego set. Shocking. 

And...more pictures of the baby. Birthday boys aren't good at staying still!

And that...is that. I can't say that 5 years has flown by...but I can absolutely say that I am fiercely in love with my bundle of energy boy. He is curious, and energetic, and passionate, and creative, and smart. Oh, this boy is smart. He lives to build things. Anything. I am so very proud of my brilliant, handsome little man, and excited to see what our next year with him will bring!