He's not as innocent as he looks! Today, this little stinker tricked his parents into believing that he had finished "his business," only to then leave us a nice big "present" on the floor! When will we learn...Diaper Off, Diaper On...No "Air Time"?!?!Friday, May 29, 2009
Don't Let The Face Fool You
He's not as innocent as he looks! Today, this little stinker tricked his parents into believing that he had finished "his business," only to then leave us a nice big "present" on the floor! When will we learn...Diaper Off, Diaper On...No "Air Time"?!?!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Just 4 Fun
On Baylor's birthday, we thought it would be fun to take a picture that could be used for size comparison. Slight difference, don't ya' think?
1 Year
1 Week
1 Year
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Birthday: Round 2
Baylor is one lucky boy. He was treated to a second round of birthday cake in Atlanta courtesy of his Ba Ba and Ong Noi. Let's just say that Baylor has no issues with being the center of attention!
There was a lot of debate over whether the cake should show Baylor's actual birthday or the date of the party. Ultimately, they went with the party date.
There was a lot of debate over whether the cake should show Baylor's actual birthday or the date of the party. Ultimately, they went with the party date.
Monday, May 25, 2009
The ATL
Sorry to just up and disappear on ya! We decided to take a little family road trip to Atlanta for Memorial Day weekend. We invaded Ba Ba and Ong Noi's house for a few days, which is always nice. The only downside was that all of the nasty weather we had in Florida last week seemed to follow us North. I can't begin to describe how excited I am to finally see the sun today! I think I can officially rule out ever living in the Pacific Northwest.
Oh, there was one other negative aspect to the trip. We have finally accepted that while Baylor is extremely cute (in my completely unbiased opinion), he has also got to be the most inflexible child in the world. He does not cope well when you deviate from his routine. Therefore, we knew that the 6-hour drive would be somewhat challenging for the kids.
Actually, I wasn't too worried about Jax. I knew he would be able to pass the time watching his movies on the car DVD player. Plus, he's old enough to tell us (with warning) if he needs to stop for something, like a potty break. Baylor, however, we knew would have issues on the road. He can't nap anywhere except in his crib for some strange reason, and as anyone who's ever met Baylor knows, when he's ready to sleep...HE'S READY TO SLEEP!
Anh & I came up with a plan to hit the road after dinner, thinking that since Baylor would be drowsy it might make it easier for him to sleep. Wrong! The trip up wasn't too bad though. Baylor didn't sleep more than 45 minutes of the trip, but he wasn't entirely uncooperative either. We stopped about half way to let him stretch his legs for a bit and that seemed to work wonders.
When it was time to head home yesterday, Anh and I thought we'd implement the same strategy. It had worked once. Maybe lightening would strike twice. No such luck! We were doing well until the last hour, when Baylor snapped despite having just stopped for a break from the carseat. He was wailing and thrashing around in his seat, pretty much losing his mind, which was making us feel like we were losing ours too.
In my attempt to combat the the tantrum, I tried to distract Baylor. I started handing him random items that were in the car: a tube of sunscreen, my sunglasses case, the coiled GPS cord, DVD cases, and finally, a can of Pringles. That was a big hit! Baylor was shaking that can like a rattle, turning the Pringles inside into Pringle bits. Fine, no big deal...UNTIL...the lid came off, sending the Pringle bits EVERYWHERE. Oops!
After a little meltdown by Baylor who had lost his rattle and Anh who had been doused in Pringle bits, a new plan was devised. Anh thought he would bribe Baylor with grapes. Not good! Grapes after a tantrum = Puke! Not good! That had to be the longest hour ever, and that last 30 minutes with the lovely aroma we had going on of Pringles and puke, was pure agony. So, I think it's pretty safe to say that we won't be taking any more road trips in the near future.
Oh, there was one other negative aspect to the trip. We have finally accepted that while Baylor is extremely cute (in my completely unbiased opinion), he has also got to be the most inflexible child in the world. He does not cope well when you deviate from his routine. Therefore, we knew that the 6-hour drive would be somewhat challenging for the kids.
Actually, I wasn't too worried about Jax. I knew he would be able to pass the time watching his movies on the car DVD player. Plus, he's old enough to tell us (with warning) if he needs to stop for something, like a potty break. Baylor, however, we knew would have issues on the road. He can't nap anywhere except in his crib for some strange reason, and as anyone who's ever met Baylor knows, when he's ready to sleep...HE'S READY TO SLEEP!
Anh & I came up with a plan to hit the road after dinner, thinking that since Baylor would be drowsy it might make it easier for him to sleep. Wrong! The trip up wasn't too bad though. Baylor didn't sleep more than 45 minutes of the trip, but he wasn't entirely uncooperative either. We stopped about half way to let him stretch his legs for a bit and that seemed to work wonders.
When it was time to head home yesterday, Anh and I thought we'd implement the same strategy. It had worked once. Maybe lightening would strike twice. No such luck! We were doing well until the last hour, when Baylor snapped despite having just stopped for a break from the carseat. He was wailing and thrashing around in his seat, pretty much losing his mind, which was making us feel like we were losing ours too.
In my attempt to combat the the tantrum, I tried to distract Baylor. I started handing him random items that were in the car: a tube of sunscreen, my sunglasses case, the coiled GPS cord, DVD cases, and finally, a can of Pringles. That was a big hit! Baylor was shaking that can like a rattle, turning the Pringles inside into Pringle bits. Fine, no big deal...UNTIL...the lid came off, sending the Pringle bits EVERYWHERE. Oops!
After a little meltdown by Baylor who had lost his rattle and Anh who had been doused in Pringle bits, a new plan was devised. Anh thought he would bribe Baylor with grapes. Not good! Grapes after a tantrum = Puke! Not good! That had to be the longest hour ever, and that last 30 minutes with the lovely aroma we had going on of Pringles and puke, was pure agony. So, I think it's pretty safe to say that we won't be taking any more road trips in the near future.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
1 YEAR
We all knew this day was coming, but goodness...
I didn't expect it to arrive so soon.
Baylor is 1 year old!
Baylor never has been a fan of hats.
"Don't even think about stealing my horn, Big Brother!"
"Happy Birthday to You...Happy Birthday to You...Happy Birthday, Dear Baylor...
Baylor never has been a fan of hats."Don't even think about stealing my horn, Big Brother!""Happy Birthday to You...Happy Birthday to You...Happy Birthday, Dear Baylor...Happy Birthday to You!!!
He has no idea what is about to happen.
Just like his big brother, Baylor doesn't like to get his hands dirty.
"Yummy!!!"
"It's kind of hard to enjoy my cake with all of you staring at me!"
A quick wardrobe change.
Is he spoiled or what?! Thank you, Uncle Robert & Aunt Glenda!
Just like his big brother, Baylor doesn't like to get his hands dirty."Yummy!!!""It's kind of hard to enjoy my cake with all of you staring at me!"A quick wardrobe change.Is he spoiled or what?! Thank you, Uncle Robert & Aunt Glenda!Baylor LOVES having a set of wheels all to himself!!!
Having Jax make a grand entrance on Baylor's tractor...
Having Jax make a grand entrance on Baylor's tractor...bad idea!
Baylor was thrilled to see the tractor, BUT
did not want Jax on it.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
When It Rains, It Pours
It has been raining for days thanks to a nor'easter storm that is sitting on top of us, refusing to move along. It's not just the rain that's troublesome. The wind is howling with gusts in excess of 50 mph! I'm starting to have flashbacks to our Kansas years.
We actually lost power for a bit last night. No big deal, but thank goodness for the hurricane kit I assembled when we first moved to Florida. We dug out the lanterns and reminisced about the days before cable and the Internet. It was nice, actually!
As we were joking about the possibility of being stranded thanks to powerless garage doors and neighborhood gates, the power came back on. Sorry, Daddy, there went your chance to play hooky. Maybe you'll have better luck tonight. The winds sure don't appear to be letting up and the rain is still falling.
We actually lost power for a bit last night. No big deal, but thank goodness for the hurricane kit I assembled when we first moved to Florida. We dug out the lanterns and reminisced about the days before cable and the Internet. It was nice, actually!
As we were joking about the possibility of being stranded thanks to powerless garage doors and neighborhood gates, the power came back on. Sorry, Daddy, there went your chance to play hooky. Maybe you'll have better luck tonight. The winds sure don't appear to be letting up and the rain is still falling.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
A Wicked Mother's Day
Spending Mother's Day in NYC was definitely a treat. Too bad Jaxon and Baylor weren't with me to celebrate! Anh & I actually went back and forth on whether the boys should make the trip with us. I was fairly confident that Jax would be able to handle the busy schedule, but at the same time, I knew Baylor wouldn't be as flexible. He has a set schedule and doesn't like to deviate from it. In the end, Anh and I both agreed it would be best to leave the kids at home with Aunt Nguyen. Therefore, I was childless on Mother's Day 2009, my first with Baylor. So sad!
Our day started with a trip to Chinatown for dim sum. As soon as we exited the subway terminal, we were "attacked" by street vendors hawking their counterfeit goods. Evidently, Kelly and I looked like we were in the market for some Gucci, Prada, Coach, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. Oh! Plus, some Tiffany jewelry. Can't forget the jewelry!
I don't know who buys their fake stuff, but these folks must make a pretty penny because there were vendors everywhere! They're pushy too. NYPD must have cracked down on them at some point because they don't actually have the goods with them on the street. They have pictures of the merchandise and thrust the papers in your face while chanting, "Gucci, Prada, Coach, Chanel, Louis Vuitton" over and over and over. It's almost hypnotizing. Maybe that's how they get you!
Somehow we resisted the urge to follow them, and instead we found our way to Oriental Garden restaurant for dim sum! It was beyond good! I think Kelly will probably become a regular there.
Dim sum was definitely a treat, but my actual gift required a trip to the theatre district to see Wicked on Broadway! This is something I have wanted to do for years, and it was everything I had hoped for. I see why this production is always sold-out.
We ended our day with a special dinner at Perilla. Chef Harold Dieterle is the original "Top Chef." Kelly and I love the Bravo series, making this a must for the trip. Harold is definitely a talented chef. Both the food and atmosphere were great.
Finally, it was Monday, our last day in the city. Eating at Perilla the night before reminded me of another stop that we needed to make during our visit, Chelsea Market. It's like Foodie Heaven! I wanted to buy & eat everything! Of course, winning the lottery would be necessary to make that happen. Let's just say, Heaven ain't cheap! We did splurge on some gourmet cookies and brownies though. Yummy!
Our day started with a trip to Chinatown for dim sum. As soon as we exited the subway terminal, we were "attacked" by street vendors hawking their counterfeit goods. Evidently, Kelly and I looked like we were in the market for some Gucci, Prada, Coach, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. Oh! Plus, some Tiffany jewelry. Can't forget the jewelry!
I don't know who buys their fake stuff, but these folks must make a pretty penny because there were vendors everywhere! They're pushy too. NYPD must have cracked down on them at some point because they don't actually have the goods with them on the street. They have pictures of the merchandise and thrust the papers in your face while chanting, "Gucci, Prada, Coach, Chanel, Louis Vuitton" over and over and over. It's almost hypnotizing. Maybe that's how they get you!
Somehow we resisted the urge to follow them, and instead we found our way to Oriental Garden restaurant for dim sum! It was beyond good! I think Kelly will probably become a regular there.
Dim sum was definitely a treat, but my actual gift required a trip to the theatre district to see Wicked on Broadway! This is something I have wanted to do for years, and it was everything I had hoped for. I see why this production is always sold-out.We ended our day with a special dinner at Perilla. Chef Harold Dieterle is the original "Top Chef." Kelly and I love the Bravo series, making this a must for the trip. Harold is definitely a talented chef. Both the food and atmosphere were great.After dinner, we wandered the streets of Union Square and found ourselves right smack in the middle of filming for Nicolas Cage's new movie, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." We debated whether it was safe to stand there and watch them film the chase scene because some believe the film is cursed. In recent weeks, there have been a number of incidents that resulted in injuries while filming, including 2 car accidents. We decided to risk it, but didn't see any real action. Oh well.
Finally, it was Monday, our last day in the city. Eating at Perilla the night before reminded me of another stop that we needed to make during our visit, Chelsea Market. It's like Foodie Heaven! I wanted to buy & eat everything! Of course, winning the lottery would be necessary to make that happen. Let's just say, Heaven ain't cheap! We did splurge on some gourmet cookies and brownies though. Yummy!
That pretty much concludes the trip report. Anh and I may possibly have a new favorite city. We certainly aren't interested in calling it home, but I will definitely look forward to visiting Kelly in the city that never sleeps!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A Walking Tour
Are you ready for a whirlwind? On Saturday, Kelly took us on a walking tour of the city, and we covered a lot of ground! Our first stop was SoHo. We checked out a few stores and strolled through the Dean & Deluca market. Did you know that there are only 5 Dean & Deluca markets in the United States? I have now been to 4 of them (New York, D.C., Kansas City & St. Helena) ! It's not necessarily something I set out to do, but now I feel like I must one day visit the 5th location in Charlotte.
As Anh & I strolled through the marketplace admiring the jaw-dropping assortment of goodies, a pastry chef stopped us and asked, "Are you two married?" We smiled and nodded, unsure of why she was asking because she looked really excited about our response. She asked with a big smile, "Were you on 'A Wedding Story?' You look just like a couple they featured?" She seemed so sad to learn that we weren't reality TV stars. She actually looked at us like she suspected we were fibbing to her and that we were actually on the show. Shoot...I wish!
Next stop, brunch at L'Ecole, the student restaurant at The French Culinary Institute.
The food and service were absolutely super. I would never have guessed that students are responsible for the entire operation. I guess performance could vary by semester though.
Every single dish we sampled was delicious, but we especially enjoyed Anh's appetizer, Steak Tartare accented with a quail egg.
My Croque Madame wasn't too shabby either.
After brunch, we made our way to the subway station. We were off to Central Park. Talk about an oasis in the middle of concrete jungle!
Thousands of tulips in bloom.
We made our way to world famous Tavern on the Green and enjoyed a few midday cocktails on the patio. It just oozes charm!
With our thirst quenched, we headed back into the park.
We could have spent the entire day there, but after a few hours, we decided to venture out to explore a different type of beauty, the lobby of The Plaza Hotel. We weren't the only with this idea. It was almost as packed as Central Park.
Next, 5th Avenue shopping!
Our only purchases were some souvenirs for the boys at FAO Schwarz. No, we didn't buy the piano from "Big." Although, it was for sale, only $250K. What a steal!
We made our way towards Rockefeller Center. The ice rink has been replaced with an outdoor cafe. We'll have to make a trip back during the winter to check out the holiday displays and festivities.
Times Square was next on the route. It's like Vegas, tacky yet beautiful in it's own way. You can see the New Year's ball in the picture below. I was surprised by how small it looks in person. Yes, I realize it's still massive, just dwarfed by surroundings.
By this point in the journey, our feet were aching. All we wanted to do was sit down and relax a bit so we made our way to Kelly's old office where we were able to put our feet up. I can see why she liked that job! Not only are the views absolutely amazing, the office seems like a pretty fun place to work. Oh well, her new opportunity has it's perks too.
The lounge area overlooks the Hudson River. A couple of co-workers actually saw the US Airways plane land in the river. Crazy!
Back on the ground, we headed for home and dinner at Las Ramblas. It's a teeny tiny little tapas bar. I couldn't have asked for a better ending to our day.
As Anh & I strolled through the marketplace admiring the jaw-dropping assortment of goodies, a pastry chef stopped us and asked, "Are you two married?" We smiled and nodded, unsure of why she was asking because she looked really excited about our response. She asked with a big smile, "Were you on 'A Wedding Story?' You look just like a couple they featured?" She seemed so sad to learn that we weren't reality TV stars. She actually looked at us like she suspected we were fibbing to her and that we were actually on the show. Shoot...I wish!
Next stop, brunch at L'Ecole, the student restaurant at The French Culinary Institute.
The food and service were absolutely super. I would never have guessed that students are responsible for the entire operation. I guess performance could vary by semester though.Every single dish we sampled was delicious, but we especially enjoyed Anh's appetizer, Steak Tartare accented with a quail egg.My Croque Madame wasn't too shabby either.After brunch, we made our way to the subway station. We were off to Central Park. Talk about an oasis in the middle of concrete jungle!Thousands of tulips in bloom.We made our way to world famous Tavern on the Green and enjoyed a few midday cocktails on the patio. It just oozes charm!With our thirst quenched, we headed back into the park.We could have spent the entire day there, but after a few hours, we decided to venture out to explore a different type of beauty, the lobby of The Plaza Hotel. We weren't the only with this idea. It was almost as packed as Central Park.Next, 5th Avenue shopping!Our only purchases were some souvenirs for the boys at FAO Schwarz. No, we didn't buy the piano from "Big." Although, it was for sale, only $250K. What a steal!We made our way towards Rockefeller Center. The ice rink has been replaced with an outdoor cafe. We'll have to make a trip back during the winter to check out the holiday displays and festivities.Times Square was next on the route. It's like Vegas, tacky yet beautiful in it's own way. You can see the New Year's ball in the picture below. I was surprised by how small it looks in person. Yes, I realize it's still massive, just dwarfed by surroundings.By this point in the journey, our feet were aching. All we wanted to do was sit down and relax a bit so we made our way to Kelly's old office where we were able to put our feet up. I can see why she liked that job! Not only are the views absolutely amazing, the office seems like a pretty fun place to work. Oh well, her new opportunity has it's perks too.The lounge area overlooks the Hudson River. A couple of co-workers actually saw the US Airways plane land in the river. Crazy!Back on the ground, we headed for home and dinner at Las Ramblas. It's a teeny tiny little tapas bar. I couldn't have asked for a better ending to our day.
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