Two Going On Five And Four Going On Fifteen

This week I traveled to Dallas on business. With Audrey. I told my department that I couldn't leave my baby for three days and the only way I could possibly go is if they let me take her with me but she's seven months and very active now and would be too disruptive in the meetings and conferences to make the trip worth it. So how did our VP respond? "Not at all! Bring her with!" Yeah.... that didn't go quite as I had planned.

We only went for a day and while it was a challenge keeping Audrey quiet during the meetings, I thoroughly enjoyed the luxury of holding her for all her naps. She's the most huggable little thing.

For the past month or so, Kwang has been gracious enough to take care of the kids on Saturday mornings while I sleep in for a couple more hours. It has been a lifesaver. I do so much delicious sleeping on Saturday mornings that there probably isn't much sleep left in the world. So if you find yourself waking up early on the weekends without your alarm and wondering why you can't fall back to sleep, that would be because I took all of it, and I'm afraid I'm not giving it back. 

The kids are growing up much too quickly. Spanky can already write his name:

 

And a few weeks ago, this was a conversation at our dinner table:
Kwang: "Jude, who is the coolest boy in your class?"
Jude: "Dylan. Because he runs fast."
Kwang: "Who's the coolest girl in your class?"
Jude: (pausing) "Ummm... Skyler?"
Kwang: "Who's the prettiest girl in your class?"
Jude: (pausing again) "Ummm.... Skyler, I think?"

And THEN a few days ago, this was a conversation between Kwang & Jude:
Jude: "Daddy, I did something nice at school today."
Kwang: "What did you do?"
Jude: "Skyler dropped her juicebox and I picked it up for her."

Conclusion: Lisa can already sense she is not going to do well, not well at all, with the teenage years and on.

A Touch Ms. Golightly

Yes, yes, stinks to be the daughter of a woman who birthed two boys before finally having a girl:

(little dress made by my mother-in-law)

Eli: "At school, my friend hits me."
Kwang: "Which friend?"
Eli: "Landon."
Kwang: "Do you cry?"
Eli: "No."
Kwang: "What do you do?"
Eli: "Ummm.... my Power Ranger moves?"

 

Thinking Bee

So Tuesday will be the historic day when Barack Obama is elected the first black president of our United States. He is the senator of my home state of Illinois but he is (gasp!) not the one I will be voting for. I know some people think it's futile to vote non-Democratic here in California. But I believe that voting where my ballot will do very little is not for naught but simply my civic duty and responsibility to my family. It was a bit surprising to discover that among Kwang, his brother, his brother's wife, and me, I am the only registered voter in California even though I am the one who did not grow up here. I myself detest politics, am neither Democrat nor Republican and will be glad when this is all over, but really feel it's one very significant way I can care for my children. How can I afford not to vote whether it's for the commander in chief of the nation I raise my kids in or on a proposition that determines how we define the marriage institution in our state?

What a notable week this will be in our nation's history.

While they were playing together, I overheard Jude giving Eli a little of his trick-or-treat candy (surprise, surprise, Eli had finished his daily allotted amount). Eli must've been disappointed with what he got, because I then heard Jude use a phrase he learned in school: "You get what you get and you don't get upset." I think his teacher says it. Not bad!

(Ethan & Jude after an evening of trick-or-treating)

Two year old Eli has also learned a phrase from a classmate at school. He now says, "What the heck?" in correct context. Wonderful.

My favorite little bumblebee in 2004 was Jude Kim. My favorite little bumblebee in 2006 was Eli Kim. My favorite little bumblebee in 2008?

What a sport. Audrey has a horrible cold right now but still managed to put up with mom's camera. We're so cheap that not only do we not buy different costumes for our kids but we conveniently timed each of their births so they would all fit the same size-6-month costume: