Why C an't You Behave

I'm so sorry. I've neglected my blogging. It's been months and well.............I'm a mom who works and tries to stay fit amidst the chaos.

My husband and I survived the summer with our children going to summer camps and all. My schedule was FULL at ACT and our business kept us busy. But, there is nothing more satisfying than going on a vacation when all the work is done.

We went to Northern, Northern California to experience the Giant Redwoods. We rented a beautiful farmhouse in Ferndale called "Morningstar". My cousin decided that she and her family would like to join us and off we went. Thank goodness for minivans. All 8 of us drove up and it was a blast!!! The house was huge and everyone slept comfortably in their own rooms. The weather couldn't have been more perfect.

These redwoods were GINORMOUS!!! Our boys and my nieces had the best time finding their "caves" inside the trees. As I walked near these trees, I couldn't help think how old these trees were and how much history these trees have witnessed. It was quite profound. We looked so small in comparison to the large tree trunks.

The kids did a great job with all the hiking we did in the forests. My husband had to teach the kids about poison oak which was in abundance. The kids got really good at spotting them and leaving them alone. We eventually came upon a river that had little water in it, but enough for the kids to experiment.

What we also loved about our vacation home were the dairy cows that would greet us. We were on a few acres of land and right next to the house was a pasture for these cute yearlings. The kids just enjoyed them and I think the cows enjoyed watching them as well.
As fun as the giant redwoods were, the kids really enjoyed the beaches the most. I think the tidepools were a hit and just playing in the water. It was quite overcast on one day, but we had another day at the beach where it was sunny and windy (quite cool actually).


We had the best food up there. I had a great time relaxing and getting the "city" out of me. It was fun, fun, fun.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Now, is that the real title of the song? Hmmm.......

Well, Greg was home from the road and we decided that we were not going to fly anywhere too far or drive across 2 states for our family vacation this year. We decided on staying in California and exploring it. I'm getting excited about it since it's so typical of us to not really get to know the state we live in because we're always thinking about what's "out there". Greg, being from Arizona, really wants to see the Sequoia Redwoods. After he brought that up, I realized it's been eons since I've visited them. The Avenue of the Giants, if I remember.

So, off we go doing research on the area. Luckily, I"m a member of AAA and just received the Via magazine. Lo and behold, it's Ferndale. The Victorian Village of Northern California!!! Wow, what amazing kismet. I look around and find some great B&B's; however, not much for kids. Hmmm...I think.....and then I do the "I Love Lucy" look....BINGO! A vacation home rental is the answer. I find this 3,000 sq. ft. farmhouse that has been converted to a home with modern amenities (http://www.vacationferndale.com/) . I"m getting excited now. It's about 1 mile from the main street of Ferndale which has one grocery store, one gas station, and one pharmacy with a lot of boutiques along the main street. It's about 2 miles from the Lost Coast and has farmland all around. Even better, the kids are welcomed!!! The backyard is huge and a private patio for BBQ's. The best part is that the land is also used to raise Arabian horses. My kids will think I'm the bomb!!! My in-laws have a quarter Arabian. They are horse lovers and ride a lot. My children love my in-laws horses and now we'll have them nearby. The Avenue of the Giants is only 30 minutes away. This is just heaven for me as well as my family. We are very excited!

You have to love California and it's diversity in land and people.

It's Too Darn Hot!!!

I've been away for awhile..........sorry! So busy as the school year starts to come to an end. Teacher appreciation week, field trips, etc. So fun and yet so busy.

So, our minivan read 100 degrees yesterday @ 3pm. What? It's really hot right now. We typically get that 3pm breeze here, but it was just a hot breeze. Out came the slippery slide for the boys. They stayed cool this way and no cooking. Not having it right now. Too hot!

Still hot now, but a bit cooler....I think. Not sure. We Bay Area-ites get so spoiled when the temperatures get extreme. We're wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.....but isn't that what we pay for? Oh well. Needless to say, most of us don't have a/c because we normally don't need it.

Well, off to take the boys to their swim lessons. Maybe it's BBQ time for dinner tonight.

It's a Small World

So, we have been officially deemed parents of a child in elementary school. Why? Well......just think spring break at Disneyland with half the other part of the world. It was crazy!!!! Just a sea of people with children having meltdowns by midday. It was nuts!

We hit Disney Monday and Tues. Geoffrey's best friend from school was meeting us down there with his family. Well, being it was their first time (our second) and both of them Civil Engineers everything was down to a science. They had subscribed to a program called Ridemax.com. This program will figure out for you where you need to go at what time and who should be getting the fast passes. All to maximize "ride time" during a busy time of year....like now. We weren't sure if it worked or not, but worth the try. So, Monday morning, Greg drops us off at the Guest Drop off and he goes to park the car (7a.m. right now) We find gate 13 or 20 like the program tells us to do. We meet up with Geoffrey's friend, Michael. We do the whole Disney count down thing and gates open at 8a.m. We get through, Michael's mom goes to rent a stroller, Greg runs to get fast passes at....don't remember, but somewhere while the kids and I literally are jogging to the Finding Nemo attraction. So far so good because our wait time was maybe 10 minutes and it moved quickly. Then off to other places. By the end of the day (11pm), we got in about 10 rides if not more. Pretty good is what I'm thinking considering the amount of people there.





Day 2 is a little more relaxed after Space Mountain and we had a blast! Greg and I were thoroughly exhausted. We needed all day Wednesday to just chill out. My college roommate let us stay at her house while she was on spring break with her kids so it was so nice to have a kitchen, backyard, and tons of toys for the kids rather than a hotel.



Caught up with a dear friend of mine from my dance years in L.A. It was great!!! Francine and I go way back when we used to dance and just hang out. We had our dogs and it was just such a special time. It was great to catch up with her and her 10 year son, Adin. All of our boys had a wonderful time.

Then to UCLA (go Bruins) and the La Brea Tar Pits on Friday. Why not brainwash my kids to my alma mater! We start them young even though I know I would support them in whatever and wherever they want to do or go. Go Bruins (had to put that in).



For the last 2 days of our stay, we'll be at the Kyoto Grand in Downtown L.A. as Greg has to continue working the show. Then back home. Wow, spring break does go by quickly and then back to the grind, eh? Well, it was great to see everyone and to have had such a success at Disneyland. Pictures to come when we get home.

I Enjoy Being a Girl

It's been a while since I've blogged. I've been so very busy with the boys. Also, my husband has been working on the Tour of Sweeney Todd around the country so I've been handling things on my own for the time being. However, Greg, my husband, does get some breaks here and there. So, he comes home and helps out tremendously. This time he came home knowing how tough it's been during the long stretch of him being on the road that he arrived with some wonderful gifts.

He always has something for the boys. This time he had something in a blue box for me. I saw the box and know the that robin blue/turquoise signature color....yup! Tiffany's. I got some beautiful earrings from him and then a few days later I get my Nikon D40. I"m new to photography, but have always loved photos and have always wondered how the photographer did that. So, now I get to experiment and learn.

Love my hubby!

New York, New York part deux

My cousin and I have been back from New York and loved our time there. Although it was short and quick, it was well worth the trip. As I mentioned before, having kids and travelling without them can create 1) worry whether the kids are all right 2) stress to make sure homework and permission slips are filled out and turned in 3) guilt that we, as moms, are having a blast. So, what do we do to combat such emotions? Ahhhhh..............a drink. Martini? Gin and tonic?

Yes, our trip started out by taking the red-eye and sleeping on the plane. Well, my cousin is a nervous flier and so as before, we take Nyquil to knock us out. My cousin likes to fortify it with some alcohol. Whatever it takes to sleep on the red-eye, right? This time we realize we can't take the Nyquil through security. So, my cousin says to take it prior to security and just dump out the bottle. We do just that. We get through security and get a nice bowl of soup from the Soup Exchange. My cousin, Tami, looks at me and says, "Gee....I"m feeling like I'm walking on clouds?"
Me: "No, it's the Nyquil."

We get to the gate and we discover that we're delayed an hour. Now, Tam says: "Oh Vivian, I'm hurting. I want to sleep right now". Me: "You can't or else you won't sleep on the plane. Go for a walk." Tam comes back with coffee. I tell her she shouldn't, but she does and shares some with me. She goes for a longer walk and comes back to find me asleep! We finally board and we sleep till we arrive in Jersey where my sister comes to pick us up.

Let me backup a bit, the theme of this trip was all about service!!! We arrive at the Park N Fly (I had already had my reservation through the internet) and the shuttle follows us to our parking space and picks up our luggage and then hands me a card with our parking number. Tam was so impressed. She was shocked how efficient they were!

Back to Jersey. We arrive around 7:30a.m. and my sis is there. We head over to her apartment and clean up for our day. My sister gives us directions via bus to Manhattan since we had our facial appts at 11:30a.m. and my sister didn't have to go into work till 12:30pm. We figure our way through and head onto the subway to the East Village. We run into Christine Chin's Salon and are greeted with the most exquisite complexions. Let me slow down here, this place is not the foo-foo facials that I really don't like. I want to get some work done. And here we are at Christine's where it's the more clinical facial that I like. I'm talking extractions where they will even go there with a "scalpel" and get rid of stuff. After my microdermbrasion (diamond) and then my extractions, I had this very icy cold green tea mask that left my skin looking great when I left. Nope, no beat up face here. It was wonderful!!!

Off to 88 Orchard for our lunch. A quick and lovely meal. Then some shopping and then uptown to my sister's office in midtown. On our way there, we were so relaxed!! I don't think I've ever been that relaxed in Manhattan and I lived there. I think it was combination of our Nyquil and the facial that left us feeling like we were finally taking care of US! So off to the subway and as we were walking, Tami says, "hey, here's a cab waiting for us!" I'm thinking...no, cheaper to take the subway. Tami: "Come on....it's like it was waiting for us?" So, off we go on the cab. This was the typical NYC cab driver that I LOVE!!! In and out weaving throughout the traffic and really pushing the metal to the pedal. It was awesome!!! I think NYC cab drivers should teach a course on "How to drive a Taxi".

We meet up with my sis and change at her office. Off to Le Bernadin for dinner. This place was all about service. As a mom, I appreciate this so much. We get in and no need to wait to get our coats off. Three people take off three customers coats. NO waiting! Our table is ready for us and the decor is not over the top too visually stimulating. Our server introduces us to the taste menu and prixe fix meal options. Most importantly, asks us if we're off to see a show, which we were and suggested we don't do the taste menu due to the time. Our food is excellent, but not over the top great. The service was ............let's just say I haven't to a restaurant with this kind of service that was so "smart". Tam and I agree that really good service is knowing when to gauge the clients. Our whole wait staff did not once interrupt our conversations with "is everything okay?" They only asked when the timing was appropriate. It was amazing!

Finally, to a show which was great. Then we meet up with my girlfriend, MaryAnn, who is in South Pacific at the Lincoln center. We go to The Mandarin for drinks and some catching up on old times. It was just fabulous.

We head back to my sis' apartment and sleep very soundly. We fly out the next day late afternoon. We have a stop over in Dulles where we take pics with Obama, Clinton, and McCain....lifesize cardboard cutouts. Yes, we had fun.
please note: do not confuse pics with political affiliations
Park N Fly picks us up and we are back to our car. It was exactly what we needed and deserve.

New York, New York

Well, I'm still getting over the end of the flu/cold. You know, that hacking, annoying cough that lingers. Sigh! I've been so busy getting ready for my presentation with some architects tomorrow and now I'm afraid I might go into a cough spasm. I just hate that!

In addition to the presentation, I'm getting ready to head to NYC to meet up with my sister. My cousin is coming along with me. We, as mothers, don't have a lot of time to ourselves and this has become our annual or every other year trip. We can only afford the 48 hours that we are gone. So, we take the red-eye out and arrive early next morning. Then we hit Manhattan. I lived there a while ago and it's always so fun to walk the city and bump into my friends. My sister and my cousin want to see "Young Frankenstein" and so I will be seeing it again. I saw it this past summer since my husband was working on the premiere in Seattle. It was a fun show, but I had an opportunity to see Patti LuPone for "Gypsy". Love Patti. Oh well. Maybe next time. Of course, there will be drinks after the show. My sister mentioned some place that will give me 50% off drinks if I show my Equity card. Have to make sure I have that with me. Yup, still Equity and proud of it!

Till the next time................I'll have to write about this new facialist we'll be seeing and the restaurant we chose. Wow, after all that we fly right back. The conflicts of mothers...want time to ourselves and then feel guilty the minute we leave them. sigh...again.

Astonishing

Just finished watching the Oprah show. I enjoy her show. Well, there are times when it's okay, but for the most part, I enjoy the topics.

So, while making Mac 'n Cheese (whole grain pasta and Ellie Krieger's recipe where you mix the cheese with pureed squash....this was way before Jessica Seinfeld's concoction) for my boys, I hear about this couple who had twins and then................sextuplets! My mouth dropped. I'm so busy with 2 boys, I can't imagine having 8 kids. I was truly astonished as to how this couple keep it together. My hats off to them.

I've been feeling tired lately due to the flu hitting our house here. Sleepless nights with worry, fever, vomit, crying, etc has taken it's toll on me. I've been eating raw garlic and vitamin C to keep me semi-protected. If they aren't sick, I'm taking them to gymnastics or swimming or playdates. It's all so crazy sometimes and it forces me to stay completely present since I have no other choice. It's a blessing. How this couple handles that with 8 kids will be amazing. Hmmm...what kind of car do you purchase for that many people? A bus? Amidst all the craziness, I did have time for some "me" therapy. I had a great time at Anthropologie's sale in Palo Alto. Ahhhh, much better.

Vivian's Lament

Every fall the controversy of taking or not taking the flu shot comes up. Everyone says it's a hit or miss as to whether the biotech companies have come up with the right flu virus. Well, I have to say that this year they missed the mark. My boys have been so sick!!! I'm praying I don't catch this flu. It seems so nasty!!! High fever, congestion, exhaustion, coughing (that dry hacking cough) need I say more?

I used to be an elementary school teacher and my first year teaching I swore I had some disease. I was constantly sick and always at my doctor's office. He would just reassure me that due to my exposure to the little ones, my immune system was building up. After that one year, I ended up taking the flu shot until I stopped teaching. I have to admit that it helped. When I stopped teaching, I stopped the flu shots.

Fast forward to now having children and once again teaching students again; I have decided flu shots will be our choice. My oldest son is 6 y.o. and he never has had something like this until this year. So, I guess when I take a look at the grand scheme of things, the flu shot has been helpful. I know there are other confines i.e. maybe we weren't exposed to the virus that would make us sick. Either way, it's been worth it. As a mom and a teacher, thumbs up for the flu shot.

Happy Talk?

Well, this was the closest song I could think of in my delirium. It's been a crazy few days preparing for Chinese New Year. We celebrated the New Year's Eve dinner tonight with enough food to feed 50 people. I took my mother with me to Oakland Chinatown to pick up personalized fortune cookies for both of my son's classrooms. In the meantime, my mother is running around Chinatown standing in line for roast pork, duck, chicken, etc. There were so many people running around getting food for the New Year's Eve dinner. It was a bit crazy and hectic, but exciting at the same time.

Now, this place where I ordered the fortune cookies was amazing!! First of all, I wanted fortunes that kindergarteners would understand. Secondly, I wanted them individually wrapped. If you have kids or are around them a lot, then you would understand why. This place called KarMee Bakery makes them fresh. I ordered them on Monday and they were ready today. I could have had them rushed and be ready by Tues. What service!!!! It's even easier to order them online and have them shipped (www.forniafortunecookies.com). The owner, David Tse, was sweet and very professional. I ended up buying a bag of chocolate fortune cookies. It was delcious and a major hit with the kids.

It's crazy during this time of year and yet it's such an awesome time. My mother comes from a family of 10 siblings. So, times that by 2 and then their kids and their kids............a wild time had by all. My husband says it's like herding cats during the holidays here. We love it!!!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!!!!

Sing Happy

As the Chinese New Year celebrations begin, we are looking forward to our blessed New Year full of love, laughter, and peace. We had an awesome day today at the Oakland Museum. They were celebrating the Lunar New Year with a ton of kid-friendly events.

We arrived at noon and it was still drizzling. So, the museum changed the location of the Opening Celebrations to the indoors. The boys had front row seats and experienced the Lion Dancers up close and personal. Geoffrey just loves this stuff. I had brought him to a Chinese New Year celebration when we were on the road and in Philly. We went to the Chinatown there and it was filled with Lion Dancing plus the crazy fireworks up and down each storefront. Let me stop digressing about Philly.

The museum did a great job!!! There were so many activities to be had by children. After the Lion Dancing, it was mochi pounding. We LOVE mochi. It's rice that has been pounded into this smooth consistency and chewy texture. My kids just absolutely love this stuff. I grew up on this stuff as well. My mother was born in Kobe, Japan and brought some of these Japanese traditions to my Chinese upbringing. You should have seen us. We were all salivating watching them pound the rice to the beat of the Taiko Drums. Geoffrey had a chance to experience the mochi pounding. He had a blast!!! The best was when we all got to eat freshly made mochi. YUM!!

Off to make Chinese Lanterns and the Year of the Rat Ornaments. I was so impressed that Geoffrey realized the volunteers for the Rat Ornaments were deaf and he used his sign language skills with them. I"m a very proud mommy right now. Sebastian had a great time as well. He needed a little more help, but really had fun using the ornament as a puppet.

Finally, we went to the theater for their cultural show. It was all very good. Geoffrey loved the Shaolin KungFu the most and Sebastian just loves whatever his older brother loves. After a full day, we took a very short drive to Oakland's Chinatown for dinner and by the time we got home both boys were fast asleep. I have to say it's the most satisfying feeling to know that I exhausted my boys.

Sing Happy

As the Chinese New Year celebrations begin, we are looking forward to our blessed New Year full of love, laughter, and peace. We had an awesome day today at the Oakland Museum. They were celebrating the Lunar New Year with a ton of kid-friendly events.

We arrived at noon and it was still drizzling. So, the museum changed the location of the Opening Celebrations to the indoors. The boys had front row seats and experienced the Lion Dancers up close and personal. Geoffrey just loves this stuff. I had brought him to a Chinese New Year celebration when we were on the road and in Philly. We went to the Chinatown there and it was filled with Lion Dancing plus the crazy fireworks up and down each storefront. Let me stop digressing about Philly.

The museum did a great job!!! There were so many activities to be had by children. After the Lion Dancing, it was mochi pounding. We LOVE mochi. It's rice that has been pounded into this smooth consistency and chewy texture. My kids just absolutely love this stuff. I grew up on this stuff as well. My mother was born in Kobe, Japan and brought some of these Japanese traditions to my Chinese upbringing. You should have seen us. We were all salivating watching them pound the rice to the beat of the Taiko Drums. Geoffrey had a chance to experience the mochi pounding. He had a blast!!! The best was when we all got to eat freshly made mochi. YUM!!

Skip To My Lu

My newest favorite store is now Lululemon. It's on Grant across from the BR flagship store (Banana Rep). Lucy's used to be the place for me to purchase my clothes for teaching. Since I teach musical theater, a lot of movement is required and I like to wear comfortable dance clothes. The trick is that I want to be able to walk out of the studio and not feel like I look like someone coming out of a yoga or dance studio. I have done this all my life and realized that seeing other people walking around with their tights on and etc just didn't look so great. In came Lucy's activewear where I was purchasing my clothes. I have to say they have great sales, but I found that after a few washings the clothes didn't keep it's stamina in color or wear. I figure with the prices I was paying for the Lucy clothes I should get a better outcome.

Now I have Lululemon to go to and see if their clothes will hold up. The salesperson said that it would. So, I'll have to test it out. Their prices are higher, but the quality of their clothing seemed a lot better. The sad thing is that they don't have a lot of sales. Bummer for me since I love the sales rack. Nonetheless, I purchased my "yoga coat" and with all this rain I will put it into good use. I'll let you know if it passes the washing test.

I Like to Eat, Eat, Eat Apples and Bananas

Wow, schooling has changed since I've been in Kindergarten. Geoffrey is in Kinder and he has homework. Not just the dot to dot stuff, it's 1st grade material!!! We've worked on vowels and handwriting, and of course, reading, reading, reading. Fortunately, Geoffrey is doing well in reading. He is reading and loves it! There will be the occasional, "How do you say this mom?" I go back to my teaching days and use those infamous rules i.e. when two vowels go walking the first does the talking. Mind you, I was teaching reading in 1st grade and here's my son learning to read, as suggested by his teacher, in Kinder. What ever happened to naps and play time? The more you know........then what? Has anyone in the higher chain of commands ever wondered what one does with all that knowledge if s/he isn't liked by his/her peers because the social skills are lacking? sigh. Well, off to....I like to oat, oat, oat opples and bononos.

De Lovely

Today was my second visit to the Korean Spa. It is quite the experience and I have to say you all should try it at least once. There is the women's side and the men's. My first visit I was quite intimidated, but realized that this must be what they do in Korea. You walk in and are given generic shorts and a loose top with some towels. You get a locker to put your things inside. I walked into the women's locker room and everyone just walk around naked. So, I do what the Romans, I mean, Koreans do and strip down. I"m asked to shower first and then I can relax in the stone room where the granite floor is heated and I melt as I lay down on it. Of course, I am not understanding anyone, but hey, I"m relaxing and feel no need to talk.

After my body is completely heated, I head to the jacuzzi for 5 minutes as asked and then a very hot and very wet sauna for 2 minutes. I'm guessing to open my pores. Then I go to get my body scrub. Wow, when they say scrub, they aren't kidding. Every inch of my body was scrubbed down. It was a little painful at first, but I got used to it real quick. The ladies that are scrubbing me down are only in their underwear since it's so warm and humid in the room. After my skin is now babysoft, they start the massage and it's amazing!!! The hot oil they pour on you is soothing. The massage was very good and very relaxing. They even massaged my scalp and washed and conditioned my hair. I received a facial mask and then a wash down with hot water. Aaaaaaahhhh! The final phase is this ginseng-type (or at least it smelled like it) liquid moisturizer. After 90 minutes, I'm done and asked to wash off and enjoy the rest of the spa. They have this room that is a cave made of jade and amythyst (spelling?). I guess it's for some sort of energy thing.

I felt amazing afterwards. My skin is a soft as a baby's bottom and I'm relaxed before my next day of work dancing and singing.

Check it out: Psy Health Town, 14075 E. 14th Street, San Leandro 94578. It's de lovely.

Losing My Mind

I'm not sure if this is due to motherhood, age, or both, but I've been having one of those days where you walk to one part of the house and forget why you were walking there. I would stand there and say to myself, 'What was I coming out here for?' I swear I was driving myself nuts!!! I have always been someone who has had an incredible memory, but this short time memory lapse has got to go.

Maybe I need to get out and play mah-jong to keep my mind fit. It's like I'm 'losing... my...maaahhhhhnnnnndd'

I Can Cook, Too

You just have to love bread machines. I bake our own bread since my boys are highly allergic to nuts of all kinds. I have learned to read labels religiously and found that a lot of breads, even at Whole Foods, have been processed in a facility where equipment is shared with nuts. It's exhausting looking for breads that are completely nut-free. So, I decided to bake my own. It's been great!! The boys love it. The house smells so yummy. And, it's all nut-free. Gotta love that!!! I have found there are certain yeast brands that are better than others as well as bread flour. These bread machines have so many options these days that I think it can even make you a sandwich! Ha.

She's a Maniac

So, it's been 3 weeks and I'm still on a roll on my treadmill. Having been a dancer for over 25 years and then retiring myself from the stage, it's been an uphill battle to get my body back into shape. It really is tough to get back into shape after having kids. I didn't believe it, but it's true!!!! After my 1st child, I bounced right back. After my second child, there's a lag time with my back end during my gait. sigh.

We were in Toronto staying at the One King West where they had a very lovely exercise room/spa. It overlooked the lake and was gorgeous since all the walls were windows. That wasn't the kicker that got me on the treadmill. It was the lovely cable television that kept me running. Wow, time just flew by. My mind was distracted and it worked. Those that know me know that I really can't stand to run. It's boring and jarring to me. I always said that if I found a runner smiling while running then I'd pick up the sport. But no, it's not the smile. It's the distraction and I found my distraction.

I now run on my treadmill with the portable DVD on it watching my movies. Hmmm...maybe it's time to get Netflix?! Oh, I don't run with a ripped sweatshirt collar and shorts. LOL!!!!

Another Hundred People

Well, it's that time for me again to start teaching at A.C.T. It's a great job and I literally have the most awesome boss. I"m still in shock that I have 4 guys in my high school musical class along with about 6 girls. What fun is all I have to say!!!!! My middle school class has 16 kids!!!!! My 8 - 10 y.o. are filled with 13 kids. Yeah............it's so great to have such creative creatures in my class.

Off to prepare......"a 5,6,7,8...."

WII like it!!!

Well, I succumbed to my kids wanting very much to play video games. I know, I know.....it's suppose to be horrible for them, etc. However, I secretly was interested in it as well. So, I thought my only game plan was to find a system that had another element to it.

Then came WII. I thought this was clever in that the kids had to MOVE. I am an active person with a lot of dance/sport experience. It's ingrained in me to move. This WII system was amazing!!! I loved it and loved the idea. Off to shop for one. Well, not so easy. Every time I went to purchase the system, the store would be sold out. To make a long story short, I was able to purchase one prior to the Christmas rush.

I love it and the kids love it. WII sports is the bomb!!!! I haven't gone too far into the games where one just sits and moves the remote/nunchucks. I want my kids to move. This isn't a cop out for getting my kids outside; however, with all the rain.....this keeps them moving inside. We are sweating by the time we are done. My muscles are sore the next day from boxing. I went out and purchased the DDR to keep "dancing". It's loads of fun.

Two thumbs up from the Pott Family!!!!!

You Can't Stop the Beat

I just got my haircut at Dekko Salon. I had such a hard time looking for a hairstylist after my hairstylist left Oxenrose to Hawaii. Oh, the agony. We develop such an amazing relationship with the people who cut our hair. Well, at least I do. My haircuts have always been important to me due to the theater biz. I find the right haircut and then I can't change unless I want to put a lot of money into changing my headshots. Then, certain shows have my hair under contract due to them not wanting us to change it too much from the time of the show.

I finally find this wonderful man in S.F. and he has been cutting my hair for the past 7 years. Now, he's gone. I search and search for another one. I'm reading up on everyone's background. I think I found someone. I will see. I have to do the styling myself and see how it holds up with me styling it.
So, yes, haircuts and hairspray CAN stop the beat!!

Why?

So, why "take a bao" someone asks? Well, being Chinese, I love dim sum and a dish I choose is bao. It can be filled with meat or sweet bean. I love them both. I am also someone who has a theater/dance background. So, my thought was to combine what I love to do eat and entertain. Hence, "take a bao". You like? I like. Thank you. Oh, please, stop....thank you.

Rain, rain, go away

I know we need the rain, but this is crazy, eh? I'm driving to an appointment and whilst listening to NPR, I hear that the San Rafael/Richmond Bridge is shut down cuz of high winds that knocked over some big rigs. I wasn't singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". I just kept hearing that music from Wizard of Oz with the "witch" riding her bike/broomstick amidst the wind and rain that came pelleting down on my windshield.

Well, it's cold and rainy now and I decided that we will have crab for dinner. The great thing about living in Fremont are all the Chinese Markets so close to us. Gotta love that!!!

Catching up with the times

Well, I"m giving this blog thing a try. Everyone keeps telling I should, well, my friends tell me I should because of all the traveling I have done in the past. It was just really difficult to keep up with all of this while taking care of our children, Geoffrey and Sebastian. They keep me busy!!!! They are wonderful, rambunctious, loving, and active. I have to stay one step ahead of them at all times or else the mommy with the bulging eyes tends to show.

Happy New Year!!! 2007 was full of fun and a lot of work. We travelled to Disneyland, Seattle for the premiere of Young Frankenstein, Sebastian started preschool and Geoffrey started Kindergarten. The excitement just doesn't stop and it's great!!! We are so lucky!!!