Pinned It, Did It Again!

Pinned it and did it again ... so excited! For easter, we did a very informal egg hunt in the backyard. Showed the kids these glow in the dark eggs from Pinterest and they went for it right away. Way more exciting than the traditional egg hunt.

But getting the glow stick bracelets to stay in the eggs was not an easy feat. We broke a few by bending it too much. A few just kept snapping out of the egg. This was not exactly a huge success but nevertheless, we got a few to work. Hiding them in the dark yard was the funnest. They looked so cool glowing in the landscape.

Then our neighbor brought over these cool rainbow eggs. She said they dyed them but forgot to hard boil them. When the first one was cracked on Kainani's head, I screeched.

It wasn't gooey egg at all, it was filled with confetti!

Once the kids knew that, they couldn't grab them and crack them on each other fast enough.

It's all fun and games until mom had to sweep. Haha. Wasn't too bad though and the pretty pile that was the aftermath made for a very pretty picture!

What are your plans for an Easter egg hunt?

Project Life Year 4 and 1

Couldn't get myself together to decide on doing Project Life this year. Definitely the picture a day idea was overdone. After 2 years I was not really motivated any more. But after seeing so many bloggers getting into it and capturing the memorabilia of everyday moments, I decided that these everyday stories shouldn't be forgotten.

I'll be doing a week at a time and just telling a few short stories here and there of what's happening in my life as it happens. Using a couple of binders from Office Depot and baseball card inserts. I'm starting with my birthday week in March and going until next birthday ... thus the name Project Life Year 41.

Last weekend I started the cover and gathered my supplies. Even printed a couple week's worth of pictures but haven't quite put it all together to show you here. Soon .... stay tuned.

Are you doing Project Life this year?

Pinned It, Did It!

I love pinterest, seems to be a new obsession in the blog world lately. My boards are really my absolute favorites and things I really want to do. So this post is a celebration ... I did something I pinned!

My sister in law is due this month and we have been pinning ideas for a maternity photo shoot here. I'm honest in saying that my creativity is not an independent accomplishment. I am so motivated by what others do and I am only good at following in their footsteps, not so good about coming up with my own ideas.

This is the second baby for this lovely family. Their daughter is so excited to have a brother to play with that she does not hesitate to show her love already.

A springtime baby means flowers are blooming. Yay! There's an old wives tale about how being pregnant with a baby boy means the mom is prettier and being pregnant with a baby girl means the mom gives her prettiness to the baby. Do you believe in this? I tend to think pregnant women glow no matter.

This is the first boy in their family. My brother is the only boy and my dad is the only son so the passing down of the family name is a big deal with this one. Although our family name being Nguyen is probably the punchline to the joke. There are so many Nguyens out there already!

This one will be named Andrew!

We feel quite blessed to see our family grow by one more! And we will be ready for sports and boy stuff! Haha.

Currents

time: 6:19am
location: train, listening to Soja
eating: just had leftover breakfast omelet from Broken Yolk
drinking: Lion brand coffee with hazelnut creamer. Don't remember last time I hit up Starbucks.
watching: American Idol, Ringer and new addiction Revenge. Got the abc app on my phone! :-)
thinking: I'm lucky to have great family and friends near and far, tons of birthday wishes poured in last weekend. I've come a long way ... past school friends, work friends, mommy friends, best friends. France, HI, AZ, NV, CA, Chicago ... feeling overwhelmingly blessed.
wanting: to make a difference at work, no stress, no ego, what's the next action?
needing: some QT with girlfriends, Thursday here I come ...
wondering: where March went but glad there's good memories, now to start my Project Life album
loving: pinterest, who's not obsessed?!?!?!

currents idea from here

2005

So the holidays are behind us and the new year is officially off the ground. We had a nice vacation break and came back to life running ever since. But at busy times like these is when I want to remember life even more so. The bigger picture of our many years together puts today's minor worries in perspective.

In 2005, our little firecracker came into our lives with a bang. Can't believe she's almost 7 now. Where did the years go? I remember her lateness to her own birth party... the only one of the 3 who wasn't born on or before the due date. I remember feeling overwhelmed when now simply 2 hands and 2 parents were no longer enough for 3 children. I remember the looks from people as they felt sorry for the mom with a newborn carried in front of me with a baby bjorn and 2 toddlers on each side of me holding my hands. Don't remember how I managed to carry the groceries we bought as we ran our errands around town. :)

That year we had our first visit from my mom's childhood best friend from Vietnam. It was such a special time for my mom to reminisce. True friendship lasts ... they acted like they were a part of each other's lives forever even though it had been about 20 years since they saw each other or even talked much on the phone. With phone cards and cell phones, they are now keeping in touch much better than before. We also had a chance to take her and the whole family (including my brother and sister in law) to a cabin in Big Bear to experience snow for the first time.

A year of many firsts was 2005, as typical for any family with a newborn. It's my favorite stage ... when they are sweet and innocent and all they need is for you to feed and bathe them ... then they go to sleep.

Christmas was also a first that year as we had a visit from Moi's sister and brother in law with new baby Kekaimalu. So nice to see our families growing and to be together for the holidays.

We also tried to start a tradition (failed!) for New Year's Eve. Cousins and us spent the weekend at Disneyland. The idea was to hang out at the park on New Year's Eve day, go back to the hotel to nap, then go out again before midnight and ring in the new year at Disneyland with the grand fireworks show. But when it rained (alot!) on us, we ended up spending most of that time in the hotel and running out to the parking lot for a small glimpse of the midnight fireworks. Can't complain too much about it raining on our parade (literally!) because memories were still made with family. Lots of laughs, mahjong and playing games with the kids.

Leap Year Nerd Trivia

My 6yr old: Mom do you know why we have leap year?
Me: No honey why?
Her: Because it actually takes 365 days 5 hours 45 minutes and 48 seconds to make a year. Takes a lil bit longer for the earth to go around the sun mom.
Me: Really? I never knew that.
Her: That's why every 4 years we just add those hours together and make an extra day. 6x4 is 24 mom.
Me: That's a really cool fact honey.

Math and science lesson all in one day. And she's pretty proud of herself for knowing something mom and big sister didn't know. Did you know?

Guilty as charged ...

I've been off the Project 365 bandwagon as of late. After 2 years and my one little word for 2012 being ENOUGH, I thought it was best to take a break. But after reading this latest post, I think I am still VERY interested in capturing the everyday moments. When I only take out my camera for the special occasions, I am guilty of doing the "look at me" drill with the kids and they HATE IT. When I just take random pics of our life together, they are more inclined to participate and then I capture magical moments.

Imagine the little boy. Maybe two and a half years old. He’s at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, perhaps for the very first time. He’s discovered the kids’ area and is intent on scooping up the krill with the basket. He is being the whale. He tries again and again and again. You can see the intensity on his face. He is mimicking the big kids around them. You know he is hoping to fit in.

And there is his dad with his camera in hand. Ready to document the moment. It makes my heart sing.

And then…
My heart breaks.
Dad can’t see the moment. He doesn’t see the action before him unfolding in the magical way it so often does in childhood. Instead? He says the words. You can probably guess what they are.

"Look at me.”

And again.
“Look at me.”

Now he becomes more emphatic.
“Look at me.”

And then he almost nears anger as he holds the camera at the ready waiting for the bright eyed, smiling child to turn for THE photo of their trip to Monterey.

“LOOK AT ME.”

Exacerbated. He gives up. He puts the camera down. He’s done.
He grabs the child, still intent in his activity, and heads on to the next station. Camera in pocket now.

He missed it. He missed the magic. He became so involved in photographing the image HE wanted, he didn’t see the beautiful image that presented itself.

Story told by captureyour365.com

So now I'm thinking about this March Photo a Day from fatmumslim. Thinking of actually starting a Project Life album for this year from the many scraps I already have ... because I do have ENOUGH. Thinking of my gratitude for this blessed life I'm living right now because it really is ENOUGH. Kids are happy, marriage is happy, parents are healthy, family is growing by 2 more feet ... it really is more than ENOUGH. I want to be grateful and remember this.

What have you done to capture memories this year ... it's already March! Are you guilty of taking every special moment and trying to turn it into a perfect picture moment? How about just capturing life as it is?

Take Twelve February - Color

February's Take Twelve for Twenty Twelve was focused on color. I chose to capture life as we live it right now in blue!

Journaling reads: Theme for this month is color ... and I picked blue. All around me this year, I am finding reasons to bring more blue into my life, to be more precise, it’s teal. It simply makes me happy. Here are signs of blue and teal in real life. Blue globe with dots for all the places we have visited or lived. Blue glass backsplash that Moi put in, my favorite part of our kitchen remodel. Blue framed quote “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Teal wall in kids room with post card reminder of next dream vacation we all want to take ... Italy. Blue flowers in our home decor, blue items in our unorganized pantry that needs decluttering and organizing. Teal bins for organizing my scrapbook goodies, love buttons and bling. My teal lining of my current favorite Coach handbag. Bits of teal in my accessories ... hard to change a wardrobe of mostly black. New teal owl reusable shopping bag ... we are a green family. Blue all over the minibook of our recent Hawaiian vacation. Blue in the cases of cookies that are taking over our month of February with site sales and walkabouts. All of this is so us right now. This is our life, our family.

February is love

Can't let an uneventful Valentine's Day go by without saying that it's not because of a lack of love in our lives. 14 years ago I met this young man on a wild and crazy night. Many years later we're still on this wild and crazy ride together and I wouldn't have it any other way. You complete me ... haha so cliche but I'm so blessed for it to be so true.

Hope you all had a great day celebrating love in your lives, cuz love truly makes the world go round. ;)

Currents

time: 7:25am
location: desk, getting ready to go on conference call
eating: ate dinner leftovers, chicken and rice for breakfast
drinking: nothing, missing my fave cream for coffee this morning
watching: American Idol and The Voice, new season ... yay!
thinking: how my tan is fading and I need a wool coat, what a difference a week makes
wanting: the day to go by fast, fun weekend ahead ... old friends, current friends, family and a glass of wine or two. :)
needing: to help sell 3x the amount of girl scout cookies ... want some?!?
creating: a Vday mailbox with my 2nd grader
wondering: when will I find time to continue with my Hawaii Minibook ... back to life, back to reality, back to the here and now! Did I just show my age with those song lyrics?!?
loving: the currents cards and soon to be released digital versions from Tina who inspires these posts

currents idea from here