"You are a good driver, aren't you?"

• Don't start yet Daddy. You are a good driver, aren't you?
• I have 11 thousand monsters here. They will come out to bite you, poop on you, and make you a mess.

Best Wishes for a Great 2013!

Good health -



Happiness -



Prosperity -


And a Peaceful World!

Lullaby and Goodnight

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Best wishes for a very Merry Christmas & Healthy and Happy New Year!

Don't forget to exercise regularly, all my friends!

"I have a plan."

• Look, Mom and Daddy. I have a plan. We can go to Walmart first. Then we go to the Chinese grocery store. Then we go to Costco. Then we eat lunch.  Then we take a nap. How about that?
• Daddy, please don't keep us waiting for you. That is a bad plan!
• (In a Chinese grocery store.) See, Daddy. That is the water pipe. Water goes down there. Then electricity goes down there too. That is how the machine works.

"How about a tummy pressure machine?"

I was with baby to pick up his cold medication and we saw a gentleman checking his blood pressure in a machine outside the pharmacy counter.

• Daddy, what is that thing called?
• It is a blood pressure machine, to check blood pressure, and actually heart rate too.
• Oh. I see. How about a tummy pressure machine?
• Good thinking. Let me think about it.

Looks like baby will have potential in engineering.

"You get what you get and you don't throw a fit"

Hmmm, I learned a new phrase today.

Throw a fit: get very angry and fly into rage.

小朋友的周日午餐 (12-09-2012)

• Orange pepper
• Brussel Sprouts
• Salmon (Sockeye)
• Brocolli
• Chicken wing (with potato and carrot)
• Rice
• Celery

"Thank you Mom!"

"You are Mom. You don't cry."

• Mom bumped her head slightly on the car door and pretended to be crying. Baby saw it and said,
• You are Mom. You don't cry.

• Baby woke up and asked to go pee-pee. Daddy took him to the bathroom and commented that baby did not even have a diaper on. Baby said,
• You and Mom are so crazy that you dont put a diaper on me.

儿童食谱：煎水饺 (fried dumpling)

小朋友最近喜欢上了煎水饺。有几个小细节：

• 水饺：猪肉，菠菜，白菜，蘑菇，胡萝卜，生姜
• 煎法：葡萄子油烧热，将冻饺子挨个放好，煎到油“很热”。加适量的水，盖锅盖，大火烧开。
• 我们用的是玻璃锅盖，可以看到里面有多少水。
• 估计水快干了，改小火煎直到水干为止。
• 出锅，点一点酱油。

给小朋友吃之前一定要试一下烫不烫。

辅菜：brocolli （水煮，加盐）

冬天了，时不时可以加一个prune sauce (first prune, Whole Foods) 以防便秘。

“我有两个宝宝”

• 妈妈，我有两个baby. 一个baby boy, 一个baby girl. 他们都在幼儿园。
• 是吗？他们都叫什么名字啊？
• Baby boy 叫嘎嘎，baby girl 叫古嘎。(爸爸评议：baby girl 应当叫 lady 好了。“lady, 嘎嘎，吃饭！”)
• 哦，好可爱的名字。那你wife的名字呢？
• 都嘎。他们吃了好多的carrot.

“它生气了。”

小朋友开始数数了，还用中文。每天让他讲中文就把手指头伸出来，“一二三四五六七八九”，然后就没了。

妈妈问他，“十呢？十到哪儿去了？” 小朋友回答说，“它生气了。”

"他们都长高了，不是baby了”

小朋友出门路过一个池塘。池塘里有一群鹅。

小朋友对妈妈说，“妈妈，那里有一群鹅，里面没有baby。”（可能他还记得春天的时候在Gallup Park 看到的小鹅宝宝。）

妈妈问，“为什么没有鹅宝宝了呢？”

小朋友说，“他们都长高了，不是baby了。”

Thank you, my friends!

"I can not say it."

Baby wanted to put the plug on the power outlet,and Mom said no. He felt he was belittled and decided not to talk to Mom.

"Let's be friends?", Mom asked.

Baby answered, sternly,

"No, I can not say it."

红烧豆腐

Not sure if this qualifies as a unique recipe - people have been cooking Tofu for many, many, many years. Still, we make this just for the little one so, "that is that."

Ingredients:

• Tofu (firm)
• Peas (frozen)
• Corn (frozen)
• Mushroom
• Ginger/Garlic (large piece of ginger, and whole garlic so that guy does not eat anything "spicy")
• Chicken meat (chicken breast from whole organic chicken bought at whole food)
• Shrimp

How to cook:

• Add cooking oil; Place half ginger/garlic in; Stir fry chicken; Put on a dish for later use;
• Add cooking oil, Place another half of  ginger/garlic in; Place tofu inside; Cook for a little bit;
• Add peas, corn, mushroom, shrimp;
• Adjust heat to see boiling of juice;
• Place cover on top of the wok; Adjust heat to medium; Simmer for 10 minutes;
• Add cooked chicken meat in;
• Add soy sauce to desired level; Stir the whole thing until soy sauce is evenly distributed;

• 勾芡

• EAT

"That is too cheap, Daddy."

Mom and baby were playing construction game. One task was to pass supplies from baby to Mom. At one time I was just half kidding and half intending to give him some numbers just to give him something to think, so I said: tell Mom that supply of blue blocks would cost 20 dollars. Here is what baby said:

• That is too cheap, Daddy!

"My foot is too naughty."

• Daddy, my foot is itchy.
• "Oh. Let me see. It is getting too dry I guess."
• No, it is too naughty.

Baby, toddler and pre-schooler's favorite dish: braised meatball

红烧肉丸：

Ingredients:

• Meatball (cooked, see below);
• Chopped mushroom;
• Chopped carrot; Microwaved to tender;
• Chopped ginger and garlic;
• Brocoli/Sweat pepper/Asparagus/Butter Squash (pick one or more)

How to cook:

• Stir fry vegetables with ginger and garlic (Brocoli/Sweat pepper/Asparagus/Butter Squash);
• Add meatball, stir fry a little bit more;
• Add mushroom;
• Add carrot;
• Add soy-sauce and a little bit of water;
• Cook with wok cover on for a few minutes;
• Check if more salt/soy sauce is needed;
• Ready to eat!

Baby, toddler and pre-schooler's favorite dish: meatball noodle

Meatball Noodle

•        Ingredients:
• ground pork (1/2 pound)
• mushroom
• organic quick oats
• 淀粉 (corn starch)
• Ginger
• Noodle
• Spinach  
•       How to cook it:
• Mix ground pork with a few tea spoon of oatmeal, and half tea spoon of corn starch; Add water if needed so the end product is soft but not watery;
• Boil water, add ginger.
• Make meatballs out of the mixed ground pork; Drop bite-sized meanball into boiling water
• When all meanballs seem to be floating, turn the stove off and get out all the meatball
• Turn on stove and boil the left-over soup;
• Add noodle and boil until soft
• Add meatball
• Add mushroom
• Add spinach
• Cook until the soup boils again;
• Add soy sauce and salt to prefered level

"这个房子还可以"

We have been looking around for houses like forever. Unfortunately we haven't had any luck yet in locating the ideal house. Well, not all time has been wasted. Baby has learned a trick or two about houses. Last Saturday we took him to the gym for swimming class and Daddy jokingly pointed at a house and asked baby.

• How about this house?
• "这个房子还可以" (Hey, he even spoke in Chinese! We both were shocked when we heard him speaking like that.)
• 哪那个房子好不好?
• "那个房子不错."
• 我们住那个房子好不好?
• "那不是我们的房子."

"Daddy, let me tell you something."

Our local mall has a small playground (indoor) and it has been baby's favorite place to visit. Today we went there after dinner. After running around for a few minutes, he walked to me and said, seriously,

• "Daddy, let me tell you something."
• "Yes?"
• Look, there is something wrong in this place.
• What?
• There is a lot of trash on the ground. It is not right.

"Daddy, you are so juicy!"

Daddy had a running nose and had been sneezing the whole day. After daddy gave up reading book to him to clean his nose, baby commented:

Daddy, you are so juicy!

"because engineers are mad."

• This engine is broken. We need engineers to fix it because engineers are mad.

Baby, toddler and pre-schooler's favorite dish: oatmeal apple

Oatmeal + Apple   

•       Ingredients:
• organic quick oats (we buy it from our local Whole Foods store);
• apple (we use Fuji, or Golden Delicious)     
•       How to cook it:
• Boil water
• Skin apple, and cut the apple meat to bite size pieces
• When water reaches boiling temperature, add apple;
• Cook for 4 minutes
• Lower heating level to low (we have an electric stove. Low = 3/10)
• Add oatmeal, stire until well distributed in the water;
• Keep cooking for 5 minutes, stir once in a while
• Pure in a bowl and cool off.

"I will dream about my bike, and you."

• Good night baby. Have a good dream!
• Yes Mom. I will dream about my bike, and you.

"I want to go back to Mom's tummy!"

Hard to believe he felt that the best place in the whole world is mom's tummy. He must have learned the tummy thing at school.

A recent theme of his conversation has been like this. "I don't want to grow up." "I don't want to be big boy!" "I want to be a baby." (Yes as a baby we carried you around and were around you 24/7. Well I miss those days too, baby.)

We go together because we are family!

• Can you go shopping with daddy?
• No, I want to go shopping with Mom and daddy. We go together because we are family!
• Daddy, you can not buy that much stuff for Mom. Grandma will be mad! (#@#$*&*^?????? -not sure how he got that. He saw Grandma only once.)

Goodbye, summer!

"Mom, my heart is too small for you to live inside."

• "You will always be a little baby in my heart. So do you think Mom lives in your heart too?"
• No, mom. My heart is too small for you to live inside.
• Daddy, please make sure I am not a baby anymore. I am a big boy.
• Daddy, please leave my food alone. Please eat your own food.

"If you feel sad, drink a lot of water."

• Go away bugs, this is not your home.
• If you feel mad, calm down.
• If you feel sad, drink a lot of water.
• Do I look cute? I am an office gentleman.

"And that was that."

Baby returned home from day care - this would be his second day at pre-school class. We asked him how it went. He said:

"I saw Ms. J. coming to pre-school class and I said Hi! And she said she has paper for me. And I said good bye. And that was that."

Baby's first day at pre-school

Baby was obviously aware of the pending departure from his beloved teacher, Ms. S. Before his pre-school starting day, he had been sent to that class on a half day basis. He complained about that and said he "missed" Ms. S.

Today was the first day. I asked the new teacher, Ms. N, how baby did. "Well, he had a couple of occasions when he felt sad." So how did baby respond to my question?

"So how do you feel now? Do you feel better or worse?"
"I feel worse." He said.

Talking about growing pain.

我不（要）长大 （我4 不3 长1 大3）

小朋友慢慢意识到了长大的危险：自由变少了，要求多了，自己要做的事多了。

小家伙说这话已经有一阵子了。前些时候呢说英文。现在可好，改中文了-那种美国鬼子说的中文。用半瓶子水的比喻，我还是很高兴他的中文在快速提高。

不论如何，严格要求恐怕是免不了的。“三岁看大，七岁看老。”小时候不要求严格些，长大了变什么样就不知道了。当然，什么事都有个度。

May God Bless You!

A Beautiful Morning in July

"We don't like constructions!"

Daddy, there is construction on the road. We don't like that! There is construction. Then there is a lot of cars traffic jam. Then nobody moves. Then .... So we don't like constructions!

“It is too big to 咬”

• I wish I will have an  ice cream truck;
• I think that car belongs to that house;

Rhema Marvanne sings "Amazing Grace"

转贴：学会不在意

我们常常为一些应当迅速忘掉的微不足道的小事所干扰而失去理智，我们活在这个世界上只有匆匆的几十个年头，然而我们却为纠缠无聊琐事而白白浪费了许多宝贵的时光。

有位老人的话耐人寻味：“一件事，想通了是天堂，想不通就是地狱。既然活着，就要活好。”在生活中，有些时候我们由于太小心眼，太在意身边的琐事而因小失大，得不偿失。比如，在有一些人那里，别人说的话，他们喜欢句句琢磨，对别人的过错更是加倍抱怨；对自己的得失，喜欢耿耿于怀，对周围的一切都易于敏感，而且总是曲解和夸张外来信息。这种人其实在用一种狭隘、幼稚的人知方式，为自己营造着可怕的心灵监狱，这是十足的自寻烦恼。他们不仅使自己活的很累，而且也使周围的人活的很无奈，于是他们给自己编造了一个痛苦的人生。有些事是否能引来麻烦和烦恼，完全取决于我们如何看待和处理它。所谓事在人为，结果就大相径庭。所以通过改变人对于事物的人知方式和反应方式来避免烦恼和疾病，就需要我们学会不在意，换一种思维方式来面对眼前的一切。

不在意，就是别总拿什么都当回事，别去钻牛角尖，别太要面子，小心眼；别把那些微不足道的鸡毛蒜皮的小事放在心上，别过于看重名于利的得失；别为一点小事而着急上火，大喊大叫，以至因小失大，后悔莫急，别那么多疑敏感，总是曲解别人的意思；别夸大事实，制造假想敌；别把与你爱人说话的的异性都打如“第三者”之列而暗暗仇视之；也别像林黛玉那样见花落泪、听曲伤心、多愁善感，总是顾影自怜。要知道，人生有时真的需要一点傻气。

 

不在意，也是一种豁达、大度与宽容。海纳百川、有容乃大。没有宽广的胸怀和气度，也是很容易流入琐屑于平庸的。而当你实现了豁达与宽容，自然会产生轻松与幽默，从而洋溢出一种性格的魅力。

"Daddy, your temperature is high."

I got sick since last week and it went worse this weekend, with throat infection and a fever. Baby was obviously concerned, called "emergence vehicle" numerous times with his cell phone and checked my temperature whenever he got chance.

What amused me most was the dialogue regarding my temperature. Whenever he used his little hand to touch my forehead (like we normally do when he is sick.), he would say, "Daddy, you got a temperature." Then I would tease him by asking "Is that a low, medium or high." (Soulds like an FMEA meeting.). Baby's answer was always, "Daddy, your temperature is high." He would also check my "ear wax." and the end result was normally "a little ear wax."

Being sick also provides the rare opportunity to reflect on life, to think about what one should and should not have done.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

It is hard to imagine three years have passed since we first saw you - you opened your eye (yes, only one eye opened, which scared me a little bit), and looked calmly at daddy. You must be wondering who this guy was, where was this place!

Fast forward and now you are a big baby, with beautiful eyes, big smiles and inquisitive mind. You have learned to talk, (and talk a lot), and with LOTs of opinions and several ways of saying NO. Everyday I hear you talk I would try to figure out, where does he learn that?

Happy birthday, my little baby! May your life be filled with joy and happiness, songs and music, and good health and good fortune.

We love you, my little angel!

Good morning beach, here we come!

Heading to a beach in July!

转发：交友之道

在现实生活中，你和谁在一起的确很重要，甚至能改变你的成长轨迹，决定你的人生成败。
　　

    和什么样的人在一起，就会有什么样的人生。
    和勤奋的人在一起，你不会懒惰；
    和积极的人在一起，你不会消沉；
    与智者同行，你会不同凡响；
    与高人为伍，你能登上巅峰。

　　科学家研究认为：“人是唯一能接受暗示的动物。”积极的暗示，会对人的情绪和生理状态产生良好的影响，激发人的内在潜能，发挥人的超常水平，使人进取，催人奋进。远离消极的人吧!否则，他们会在不知不觉中偷走你的梦想，使你渐渐颓废，变得平庸。
　　
       积极的人像太阳，照到哪里哪里亮。消极的人像月亮，初一十五不一样。态度决定一切。有什么态度，就有什么样的未来：性格决定命运。有怎样的
性格，就有怎样的人生。

 　 有人说，人生有三大幸运：
    上学时遇到一位好老师，
    工作时遇到一位好师傅，
    成家时遇到一个好伴侣。

    有时他们一个甜美的笑容，一句温馨的问候，就能使你的人生与众不同，光
彩照人。
    生活中最不幸的是：
    由于你身边缺乏积极进取的人，
    缺少远见卓识的人，
    使你的人生变得平平庸庸，黯然失色。

　　有句话说得好，你是谁并不重要,重要的是你和谁在一起。古有“孟母三迁”，足以说明和谁在一起的确很重要。

    雄鹰在鸡窝里长大，就会失去飞翔的本领，怎能搏击长空，翱翔蓝天?野狼
在羊群里成长，也会“爱上羊”而丧失狼性，怎能叱咤风云，驰骋大地?

　　原本你很优秀,由于周围那些消极的人影响了你，使你缺乏向上的压力，丧失前进的动力而变得俗不可耐，如此平庸。不是有这样的观念吗?“大多数人带着未演奏的乐曲走进了坟墓。”
　
    如果你想像雄鹰一样翱翔天空，那你就要和群鹰一起飞翔，而不要与燕雀为
伍；如果你想像野狼一样驰骋大地，那你就要和狼群一起奔跑，而不能与鹿羊同行。
    正所谓“画眉麻雀不同嗓，金鸡乌鸦不同窝。”这也许就是潜移默化的力量
和耳濡目染的作用。
    如果你想聪明，那你就要和聪明的人在一起,你才会更加睿智；如果你想优
秀，那你就要和优秀的人在一起，你才会出类拔萃。
　　读好书，交高人，乃人生两大幸事。一个人身份的高低，是由他周围的朋友决定的。朋友越多，意味着你的价值越高，对你的事业帮助越大。朋友是你一生不可或缺的宝贵财富。因为朋友的相助和激励，你才会战无不胜，一往无前。
    人生的奥妙之处就在于与人相处，携手同行。
    生活的美好之处则在于送人玫瑰，手留余香。
    

   人生就是这样：想和聪明的人在一起，你就得聪明；
                 想和优秀的人在一起，你就得优秀。

 善于发现别人的优点，并把它转化为自己的长处，你就会成为聪明人；
 善于把握人生的机遇，并把它转化成自己的机遇，你就会成为优秀者。

    对他人的成功像对待自己的成功一样充满热情。学最好的别人，做最好的自
己。借人之智，成就自己，此乃成功之道。和不一样的人在一起，就会有不一样
的人生。

 

     不能没有这样的朋友：

     1．成就你的朋友。
     他们激励你，让你看到自己的优点，给你如何发挥自己优势的建议而且不吝惜自己的时间。
     2．支持你的朋友。
     维护你和你的信念，在别人面前夸赞你。
     3．志同道合的朋友。
     和你兴趣相近，也是你最有可能与之相处的人。
     4．牵线搭桥的朋友。
     认识你之后，很快把你介绍给志同道合者认识。
     5．给你打气的朋友。
     好玩，有趣，你情绪低落时给你打气
     6．开阔眼界的朋友。
     让你接角新观点，新机会和新文化。
     7．给你引路的朋友。
     善于帮你理清思路，需要指导和建议时去找他们。
     8．陪伴你的朋友。
     有了消息，不论是好是坏，总是第一个告诉他们。他们一直和你在一起。

 

"Happy Father's Day, Daddy!"

Baby and Momma bought me beautiful flowers the other day. And baby said "happy father's day, daddy!".

It is a beautiful day!

"I want to find my treasure but I can't! "

Momma and baby decided to play in the sand court where baby has buried quite a few pieces of treasures, aka, stones. Right after their arrival baby peepeed in his pants and got all wet. After momma told him that they had to go back home to get his pants changed, baby started crying:

• I want to find my treasure but I can't!

Baby's amazing geographic capability

We have been looking around for houses for a while so baby has gotten used to see houses, even liked to see houses as a way of spending time outside.

One particular place is located in an area called Katz Farms. We were there once so he somehow remembered the name. Today we were on our way to Tim Hortons to get some food for dinner and I decided to check that house again from outside. Baby at first expressed his displeasure by saying "I don't want to see big houses.". Then as I drove pass that house and on our way to Tim Hortons, baby said:

"I like Katz farm."

Amazing, isn't it? Perhaps boys are boys. They just have the capability of remembering locations.

Baby-wash

Baby and Daddy went to Briarwood mall to fix Daddy's eye glasses. On the way, there were two brand new cars: a Lexus and an Infinite.

• Which car do you like, baby?
• I like Infinite (daddy told him the names).

After we passed the car baby realized that the cars may need a car wash. The following is the conversation about car wash:

• Daddy, these cars need to go to car wash.
• No, I don't think so. They are new cars. Unless they have been driven outside, they don't need car wash. See you go to day care so momma gives you a bath every day.
• Yes momma gave me people wash. No, baby wash.

Memorial Day "Thank you!" Note

Memorial day is supposedly for memories of lost soldiers. Still it is quite fitting to say "thank you" to all the friends and loved ones that I am deeply grateful for all the great memories (happy or otherwise) we have shared, and all the great adventures we have accompanied each other.

May you and your family be happy and healthy in this special occasion.

Baby has diplomatic skills

Baby learned how to use potty to poopoo last week and he has been doing well on that until today. Perhaps due to habit, or the fact that we did not ask him to sit on the potty, he poopooed with diaper on.

Momma was not a very happy camper and showed baby "disappointment" face. Here was the response from the baby:

"Momma, I will poopoo in the potty tomorrow. I can get two candies and a new car. Do you think it is a good idea? "

When Momma said she was still upset, baby told momma: "Be happy, Momma."

"This is my treasure."

We were running around at our activity center in our condominum and baby was very interested in the beach volleyball court. Right before we left he buried a small rock near the end of the court and marked it with a stick.

• (Baby) Mom, Daddy, this is my treasure.
• (Daddy) Oh, it must be an expensive rock.
• (Baby) Yes. When I grow up I will buy myself a Green Mustang (Some baby's father drives a green mustang in his day care.)
• (Baby) And I will buy Mom a blue beetle. That is her favorite.

The very next day we got busy and forgot to take him outside. It was almost dark when baby demanded to go to the courtyard.

• (Baby) I want to go outside!
• (Daddy) It is getting dark. Can we go tomorrow?
• (Baby) No! (and started crying ...) I want to go outside!
• (Mom whispering) He wanted to check his treasure.
• (Daddy) OK, let's go. But we need to come back before it is completely dark. Is that fair?
• (Baby) OK. That is fair.

So there we went. Two people look alike dug into the sand and picked up that little rock, dug another hole and placed the rock inside, covered it and marked it again.

No, I promise this is not the end of the treasure story.

Baby's Tulip Stem Festival

 

Tulip festival turned out to be "flower-less": most of the tulip in the famous tulip garden were gone, with only stems left. It was also rainning and cold on Saturday. Sunday's weather turned out to be better.

 

All in all it was not a bad trip. It would be better of course if we were there one or two weeks earlier.

今天

“在艰苦的日子里要坚强，在幸福的日子里要谨慎。”

I am almost three!

• What are you talking about, Daddy?
• Are you serious?
• Are you positive?
• Guys, you wait there. Don't follow me!
• I am getting bigger and bigger.

Baby sings "Hail to the Victors"

Today will be Michigan's spring game. Last night baby said "I want Michigan shirt and Michigan 'kuku' (pants)". He is excited to see the "Michigan big house" again.

Not sure if the weather will hold up. (Unfortunately, no - the whole morning it was raining until about noon. We definitely missed the morning sunshine.)

Baby has been talking like, not a baby any more.

• Don't speak too loud. It will hurt baby's ears.
• "Your car's battery is running out." Really? We can buy batteries from super store. You think it is a good idea?
• I feel sad. (???!!!) (*** we did not get the cart he liked to ride on at Briarwood mall. ~_~)
• Daddy, I bumped my nose. It hurts. Do you take me to see the doctor?

Baby says "Spring is coming"

How time flies! We encounted a tornado last evening - baby and I had to wait inside the day care for over half an hour before the storm somehow took a break. We watched as quarter sized hail balls hit the ground, the cars (including mama car) and on the shrubs. It was certainly some experience for the baby.

Well, I have to say he is no longer a little baby. He can do all these now

• He can recite his books (at least two of them) - like father like son?
• He can tell mama and daddy his stories, like what happened in day care, etc.
• He obviously is picking up things quickly. On the other hand, we have to be careful in using our words.

Wonder boy is talking a lot these days

• "Do you need some water?" I did drink my water, daddy.
• "How's your day? Had a lot of fun?" Hmm, I have music class. Then I eat lunch, I eat pizza, vegetables, and apple juice. I eat everything! Ehe, then I sleep. Ehe, then I wake up and play cars!
• That is awesome, daddy!