Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

Mommy keeps asking me to pound and step on her back in the mornings and she rarely picks me up anymore. All I want is to be loved! Mother's Day is coming up soon. Have you thought about what you want to get mommy? I think mommy would love to get a back massage at one of those salons...but not Mario's...she makes an angry face whenever she hears that name. There is this website she goes to once in awhile and drools in front of the computer...I wish I could read...but I remember a few letters from that site!...A...L...N...I think another A...maybe an H... Oops! That's from Wheel of Fortune! But I shall keep an eye on mommy to see if there is anything else she has in mind and report back to you.

P.S. I really do say goodbye to you in the mornings...after mommy closes the door...he he he

Stupid Women

Are women really that stupid? I caught 5 minutes of Oprah (i'm never watching her again after this) today. Her guest was a guy who wrote a book advising women when to dump their boyfriend/fiancee. All the women on the show had whiny-co-dependent voices. Here are a couple of questions asked...
"i've been dating this guy for 6 months and he hasn't told anyone for no apparent reason. When I ask him why he's never told anyone, he says the topic never comes up. Is it okay for me to stay in this kind of relationship?"
"there's this guy who's been coming back to me and breaking up with me for 3 years now. What should I do? Does he really like me or is he using me? Should I let him keep doing this to me?"

I couldn't believe there were such stupid stupid women out there with stupid stupid questions. His advice to them..."break up with him". Why do women need men to tell them what to do? So stupid. It's like asking, "my boyfriend treats me like crap. should we still keep dating?"
My question to him would be "how can I raise my daughter so she will not sit on the Oprah show one day and help you make profit out of asking stupid questions?"

It's hard to say goodbye

My computer is making horrible noises when Jae and I start it in the mornings. I'm almost afraid to turn it off for the night. It sounds as if it's going to explode! It's really loud at first, like Jae's car (ha ha), then slowly quiets to a whine. I get all nervous. I think it's time for a new computer. It will be so sad to depart from it...I've had it for almost 10 years...lots of term papers...I rarely let Jae touch it and when he does, my eagle eyes come out.

I think I generally have a hard time departing with things/people and get very possesive (whether that's good or bad, I've yet to find out). I was upset to see pro athletes leave a team they've been with for years. I think John Elway was the most difficult to get over...I always want to call him John Denver for some reason...he he he. I used to wear his football jersey on Monday Night Football no matter which team was playing...even on Superbowls...(I'd get glares). Then there was Jordan.

And I freak out at the thought that my friend may move even further away. Though we rarely see each other, it's strange because I remember lots of moments when we called each other and said, "I was just about to call you!" (sniff, sniff)

I guess you could say I wasn't too fond of going to DC's farewell party either. I don't remember saying goodbye to him. I hate goodbyes.

Weekend Update

I managed to get my hair highlighted Saturday. The color was a bit brighter than what I expected, but overall, it looks well...it's not orange. My colorist, on the other hand, was not what I expected. Mario's service is going down the toilet. It's just poopy! Basically, my colorist had no clue what I was talking about and left my hair in such a state that I ended up with dye all over my neck, ears and eyebrows, and she ended up spending only 10 minutes on my hair. Her assistant did most of the work. And once my hair was all shampooed, I had to blowdry and style my own hair! How rediculous! It was not worth the cost. I'm going to Asha next time. I'd rather pay $5 more for better service, staff, and environment. Oh, yeah, Mario's head massage during shampoo is a joke!

Anyway, Sunday was a much better day. Ate wonderful Thai food, again faced with poor service, but wonderful food with wonderful people. Then spent the rest of the day with Phil and Phyllis. It was so good to have them over again. It's been a loooooong time since the 4 of us got together. Phyllis and I just stared at each other while our husbands brain stormed for business ideas...by that point, I zoned out for the night. At the end of the night, we wondered how many other people out there were thinking of the same dreams/visions.

But it was so good to have my friend over...to cook for her...to serve her...to share an apple with her... New Orleans baby!

Ellie ended up sleeping at around 5:15pm. She slept past dinner time and continued through the night and into the morning. She woke at 6:30am...happy. Wow!

And the Bulls won their first play-off game in ages! I shall call them The Mighty Ducks.

The Refrigerator Test

I thought this was so funny. Try to answer the questions yourself without looking at the answers! I didn't get any of them correct...boo hoo...

The Refrigerator Test
You will be asked four questions and you must rely on your common sense to answer them correctly.

According to Andersen Consulting Worldwide, around 90% of the professionals they tested got all of the questions wrong. But many pre-school children got several correct answers. Andersen Consulting says this conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four year old.

Q1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

Correct AnswerOpen the refrigerator, put in the giraffe and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

Q2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?





Wrong Answer:Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant and close the refrigerator. Correct Answer:Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your actions.

Q3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend, except one. Which animal does not attend?





Correct Answer:The elephant, since it is still in the refrigerator. This tests your memory. OK, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your abilities.

Q4. There is a river you must cross, but it is inhabited by crocodiles. How do you manage it?





Correct Answer:You swim across. All of the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting!
This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

You can find more of these fun test at www.personalityquiz.net

First Time

My sister's wedding is coming up next week! I can't believe how fast it came. I love her to death and am so happy that she's happy. I think my mom and I are more anticipate of her wedding day than she is...(we've dreamed together of many wedding scenarios), none of which is going to compare to the real deal...it's going to be so beautiful...my sister is going to be so beautiful...Alex is going to be so beautiful (he he he).

Anyway, the title of my post isn't in regard to my sister getting married, it's in regard to me getting my hair colored at a salon for the first time. An important day such as the wedding should call for me to look somewhat decent. I just had poor experiences with salons. My mother used to take me to her hair stylist (an aquaintance's apartment bathroom) who did awful things to my hair. Plus, my mom used to cut, color, and perm our family's hair in our apartment bathroom. Funny moments. The few times I went, my haircut was pushed back for more important clients or the stylist gave me a football helmet. They really like to round out the ends of my hair for some reason. And the other time, my sister took me to Ulta on my birthday for a short haircut...which was alright, I came home and fixed it.

Mario actually has online appt. booking for such introverts as myself. There were so many options to choose from...I thought highlights were highlights. So I booked myself for a color/partial highlights. I hope I chose the right option. Apparently, it will take at least an hour! Jeez-louis! But I am very nervous since I have no clue who is going to touch my frothy hair or how it will turn out and because I'm plopping big bucks for the service. The last time I colored my hair, it came out "orange"...some were nice enough to say "caramel". Thanks. I usually do a good job at home, but the last time was a disaster.

I am Not pregnant!

3 people have asked if I was pregnant this past month!

To spare possible, future embarrassment (sp) for the inquirer and myself, I declare, I am not pregnant.

Dear Tabby

It's so funny! The cats write to "Dear Tabby" ( instead of Abby) regarding problems they are encounting with their owners. I'd have to say that unless you love cats or are a cat owner, you will not appreciate this book.

Too Fat to Groom
Dear Tabby,
This is the most embarrassing letter I've ever had to write. I've got, well, a grooming problem. I've gained a bit of weight in the past few years, and now I find I can't reach my lower back (you know, that wide area just above the tail where I love to be scratched) and also my...um...unmentionables under the tail. I've always kept myself nice and neat, but now I'm getting little mats in my fur back there. Plus, I can't always clean up the way I'd like to after a trip to the litter box. I tell you, sometimes I feel so unkempt I just want to scream! I don't feel good about myself anymore. Help!
Your trusting reader,
Bob Kats

Happy 20 Month Ellie!

Ellie is 20 months today! How coincidental, we were singing Happy Birthday and blowing out fake candles last night. I've been checking up on how she's supposed to be developing at 20 months according to What to Expect: The Toddler Years and BabyCenter.com.

• dump object in imitation (I haven't seen her do this)
• use spoon/fork but not exclusively (she's actually one of the neater kids I've seen eat with a spoon/fork)
• run (she's got a girly run)
• combine words (she used to, but not anymore...hmmm...)
• identify 1 picture by naming (she can name many)
• name 6 body parts (Ellie can name/point to eyes, ears, nose, mouth, ears, cheeks, belly button, hands, feet)
• throw a ball overhand (not quite there yet)
• speak and be understood half the time (by whom is not known...I guess the parents)
• use 50+ single words (haven't counted the words, but I am sure she's past 50 words)
• identify 4 pictures by pointing (can name more than 4)
• build a tower of 6 cubes (she can build 10)
• have "tea party" (pretend to feed dolls/stuffed animals)
• climb up stairs, downstairs may be more difficult (Ellie can do both with ease)
• draw up and down lines or straighter lines (she's decided to take a break from drawing this month...ha ha ha...)
• take off own clothes with help (putting them on is a different story!)
• test/push boundaries and rules (you should see her face when she does this!)
• experiments with cause/effect..."what will happen if I drop this?...what sound will this make?...what will mommy do when I do this?" (example: Ellie likes to find my belly button and stick her finger in it cuz she knows that makes me laugh)
• start hiding and searching for objects (Ellie loves to hide her utensils under her placemat during mealtime. Then I ask her, "Where is it?" She finds it and says, "There it is!")

I guess she will not play baseball, but after Saturday, who knows?...=)

Hi-Ho!

Why is it when parents buy all the toys in the world for their children, they end up marching around the house singing, "Hi-Ho!" and stacking boxes? Can you guess what Ellie did this morning? It's hopeless...completely hopeless!...argh.

books and winnie the pooh

jae had to work another late night so i put ellie to bed. amazingly, she did not cry like she sometimes does at nap times. i came downstairs and IMed jae. he asked what i was going to do...i replied..."pikmin...or maybe i should finish reading one of my many books." i have started Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, Lovely Bones, and Little Children. i could also do dishes or do laundry or dust the house...but i won't...he he he...

The Order of the Pheonix is slow reading in the beggining cuz Rowling(sp) is trying to re-explain everything to readers who haven't kept up with her series and she's introducing waaaayyy too many characters...i don't know that i would refrain ellie from reading Harry Potter books. if she is grounded, she would know better than to join a cult...i hope.

Lovely Bones i picked up at the bookstore, it seemed interesting to read from a dead person's point of view...it's about a girl who gets murdered and the whole book is from her perspective. she's frustruated cuz she knows who killed her, but no one else does and there's no way she can communicate that to anyone. there's a creepy part when the murderer is in her home offering condolences to her mom for her loss. i was taking turns reading that book and cross stitching...and well, there's no competition. cross stitching is stress relieving to me and i found the book to frustruate me too. now i just take that book with me when i go see my doctor. he usually runs 20 minutes late. i'm switching my doctor...anyways...

Little Children was reccommended by Jae...another child molesting book...i can't handle it...but i do worry that i identify myself with some of the women in the book...i will avoid a women's playground group and giving ellie scheduled snacks at all costs! but this is the current book i'm not committed to. you will find it on my coffee table.

Yes!!! jae and i actually brought out our coffee table and console. our living room almost looks like a living room. Hoorah!

And Winnie the Pooh is coming to Barnes and Noble (the one near/on Rand Rd.) this Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 10am. ellie and i are going Friday night. let me know if you want to join us. it will be fun!

i shall play pikmin after all.

common things i cannot do

1) whistle

2) do cartwheel

3) roll my "r"s

4) roller skate/blade

5) crave and eat seafood

6) hoola-hoop

I am not ashamed!

Nosy Neighbor

I've become the nosy neighbor! If one of my neighbors gets a new car or has visitors, I know...I don't know how I became this way. I need help. Anyway, my backyard neighbor recently had a baby and the only way I knew this was because I saw a stroller parked by their patio door. At first, I thought they invited a friend who had a baby. But I've been concerned because day after day after day, the stroller is parked outside just in front of their patio door which is left open. I said to Jae jokingly, "I hope they didn't leave their baby in the stroller." because Beamer (their dog) was sitting right next to it. And Jae made the most lamest excuse, "maybe they're airing it out."...whatever. Then as I'm having lunch today, Chloe starts barking up a storm. I went to see who she was barking at, it was the dad...and he's staring into the stroller! Is there a baby in there? How odd. Normally, I'd be tempted to call DCFS, but I've met the mom and she seems like a really nice person...always waving hello and talks to Chloe when she's outside...nor do I hear the baby crying. Jae and I don't care too much for her husband though. Hmm...I must investigate some more...or Jae and I just need to plant some bushes.

Spring is Here!

My prize-winning Hyacinths!

I planted these last summer in hopes that they would bloom again and they did! I can't believe it! There are pink ones right next to it, but they have not bloomed yet so I didn't photograph it.

Today We...

When I worked in daycare, one of the responsibilites from teachers was to provide parents some form of information regarding their child's activities throughout the day...it was a newsletter called "Today We..." written from the child's perspective. I thought it might be cute to publish some posts in the same way about Ellie since most of my posts so far have been about Ellie but it will be titled "Today I...".

Today I discovered what water can do. I can fill a cup and pour it back out just for fun or I can pour the water for a purpose. I discovered that plants need water. Today, mommy showed me a plant in our house that was neglected all winter long. It was very dry, brown, and droopy. Mommy told me if I water the plant and give it lots of sunshine, soon pretty flowers will bloom. So mommy helped me water the plant and it was so much fun, I wanted to do it again and again and again and again but water started dripping down from the bottom of the plant! Wow! Did you know that water also makes fun puddles for me to jump in? Mommy wasn't too thrilled about that...so we decided to water the plants outside of our house. We also poured some water into my sand table. I found out that water makes the sand stick to each other and my fingers. I did not enjoy that feeling too much though. Sand is much more fun when it's dry in my opinion. We came back inside, and mommy let out a terrible moan! She found some water on the laundry room floor. I guess water can seep into tiny spaces and make mommy very unhappy.

Ellie Sleeps at the Table

Because we went to TRU Sunday after service and didn't come home til 5pm, Ellie was so cranky. Like any other women, she needs her sleep or she's just no good. She cried for about an hour because we had changed her clothes. Again, Elmo comes to save the day. He's beginning to become my best friend. We finally sat down for dinner. Ellie stuffed some rice into her mouth then grabbed her milk and drank with fury. After about a couple of minutes, I noticed her head was bobbing up and down. I looked at my daughter as she drank her milk and started closing her eyes to a deep sleep. It was such a pathetic sight yet so funny to see Ellie nod off at the table like some 80 year old with a condition where one just falls asleep at any given moment...what's that called?
She slept at 7 and didn't wake til 7:30. That's amazing.

Wee!

Ellie has a new slide! Wee! After a play date with Tea, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to get one for Ellie since she walked up and down on it like a ramp! But she started to pretend play with her Little People and had them go up and down their slide. As she brought them down, she would say, "Weeeee!!!" How could a parent ignore such desire?

Jae and I bought the slide for her yesterday and she loved it! There is an emphasis on loved it, not loves it. I took her outside to play on the slide this morning, she slid down a few times, then ran away with Chloe. Sigh... We also got her a tiny lawn mower that blows bubbles when you push it, didn't care for that either! We also finally got some sand for her sandtable and she enjoyed pouring the sand out of the table and onto her shoes...sigh...

I'm thinking of getting her a little hosue. He he he!!!

The duk bo gee incident

I was rummaging in my fridge in hopes to find something to make for lunch. Ellie had hot dog slices and some other fruit and veggie with milk. I had the same meal except I had duk bo gee instead of hot dogs. We had a duk bo gee "kit" (it's just duk and prepared sauce...very good) that was sitting in our fridge for at least 2 weeks and I wanted to finish it off. So I opened the bag, but the duk were all stuck together. I grabbed a couple of chopsticks to try to break them apart from each other, but they would not budge (I'm sweating at this point...seriously!). I just decided to put the chunk of duk into boiling water...it will get soft and fall apart. But they did not fall apart. I basically ended up breaking and fishing out 3 chopsticks trying to pry the duk apart and I only managed to get half of them apart!

I finally sat at the table with Ellie, but the duk smelled kind of strange, but I was so hungry at that point and went through so much work to make it, I kept eating, but the duk bo gee started to taste wierd too. I decided not to finish it...I didnt want to get food poisoning...later that evening, I got sick...the next morning, I found out Jae ate the left over duk bo gee. Ha ha ha! What comedy!